Darkness Calls
by Balkoth
Summary: We all have a destiny. Raven's was to destroy the world. The Teen Titans are about to discover some destinies cannot be curbed; and to save their home and lives from ruin, the Titans must embrace their inner darkness - and hope it does not consume them.
1. Chapter 1

I've been away from fan-fiction for too long. It's good to be back and writing. This is an idea that I've been kicking around a lot; it's evolved so much from its original plot. I hope you guys read and enjoy. If you read and enjoy, please tell me. Praise and encouragement are never wasted on me. If you read and don't enjoy, TELL ME exactly what is wrong. I'm serious: I like my fiction to be the best it can be.

I'll try to keep updates coming regularly, but I'm afraid I can't promise a weekly update like I have in the past - hi, old readers! Enjoy : -)

PS. A small note. This story is rated T right now. There is a distinct possibility that the rating will go up. Young people, you have been warned.

**Disclaimer: **

**Balkoth hereby affirms, by affixation of typed penname at the close of this statement, that Balkoth does not own the Teen Titans. The characters portrayed in this work are the rightful and legal property of Cartoon Network and DC Comics. Balkoth has never - nor will Balkoth ever - asserted that these characters belong to any person(s) other than those previously mentioned. Any legal action against Balkoth for the production of this work is unwarranted; no profit is being made.**

**Characters and events portrayed in this work are fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is unintentional. This work, while stemming from a pre-existing world created by others, is very much an original work of Balkoth's. Balkoth urges others to enjoy, comment, and assist in anyway that seems prudent. Replication of this work will be viewed in a most unfavorable light.**

**Balkoth**

* * *

"Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us." - Voltaire (1694-1778)

**Darkness Calls: Chapter 1**

Stone crunched under Raven's feet as she walked through the ruined city block. The old fire station had collapsed on itself; a ragged fire truck stuck out of the demolished structure in pursuit of one last fire. The streets were fractured and ground to concrete dust. Shards of glass stood erect in the rubble, glittering diamonds in the morning light. The old town library didn't exist anymore. All that remained of the building was a humongous crater. Only forty-nine hours earlier a magical explosion in that exact spot had ripped a hole in the dimensional fabric.

"Miss, I really don't think my supervisor would approve of this. This area could still be unstable," Jason said.

"I'm not going to tell her," Raven replied in her usual monotone. The undercurrent of anxiety the young empath sensed in the veteran firefighter doubled. The only reason Raven had been allowed past the police tape and the barricades was because Jason owed her a favor. He'd offered her anything she needed at any time. That had been three years ago. And today, before the area was contaminated, Raven wanted to see where the end began.

She'd left behind something dear to her when she became the portal, and she wanted it back.

Jason licked his lips but said nothing, standing aside and giving Raven unfettered access to the gaping maw in the earth. She closed her eyes and waited. The air pulsed with fear and love, each possessing a heartbeat of its own. The tangible feel of the emotions as they thrummed in the air and bombarded her mind left Raven feeling weak-kneed and powerless.

The empath crossed her legs and drifted into the air. The blue cloak she wore hung down to caress the crumbled stone, and Raven reached out with her perceptions, embracing everything the location had to offer and drawing it into herself, sifting the emotions one by one, searching for one particular cluster. Fear went first, and even after Raven filtered the feeling, it left a bitter after-taste in her mouth that a small, horrifying part of her enjoyed. She shuddered.

Confidence, anger, desperation, anxiety. She peeled the layers of emotion away to zero-in on one cluster of emotions – one powerful cluster that she treasured. Raven treasured the cluster because it was meant just for her, and she knew she had no right to it.

Love.

Faith.

Trust.

The emotions consumed Raven's senses, but the source was small, so small it could fit once collected and condensed into… a penny.

Raven opened her eyes and lowered herself to the ground. The concrete rattled when her weight shifted on it. The penny had been destroyed in the blast that released the demon Trigon into the world, but remnants of the metal remained, spread far and wide, its atomic structure violated and discarded. Raven sighed.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she chanted. White light sparked behind her closed eyelids, spreading outward until magical energy poured from her eyes. Black energy sprung to life around Raven's hands, covering her delicate fingers in a glove of ebony magic. The chill of her powers contrasted sharply with the summer air.

"What are you doing?" Jason asked, appearing beside Raven in an instant. "I could lose my job for letting you in here. You can't interfere with anything."

Raven ignored Jason and waved both hands through the air before her. Stone rumbled in the distance and pieces of debris shot into the air of their own volition, each levitating piece of glass, rock, concrete, or metal splattered with the remains of a very valuable coin. Jason sputtered next to Raven as she clenched her hands together. The debris shattered and showered down to the earth, but black orbs of energy continued to hover in the air, devoid of substantive matter.

"There," Raven said, waving her hand and drawing the black orbs together to rest in her palm. "No one will ever know the difference." The empath turned to Jason and smiled. "Thanks. Consider us even."

Without another word, Raven vanished into the folds of her cloak, melting into the earth and leaving Jason standing in the middle of what once was the portal to Hell. The fireman shook his head and headed back to the police barriers. This place felt wrong to him.

ooooo

Raven reappeared in her room. The blinds were open, giving the young sorceress a magnificent view of Jump City. The bay stretched out before her eyes, clear and blue, before the city sprung to life, full of cars, people, and boundless energy. Raven's room was a different story.

Thick blue carpet lined the floor; black candles and incense were arrayed on various surfaces; oak shelves stuffed with all imaginable types of books lined the walls; and ornate figurines – a cat-like creature with a pronged tail, a raven with four blood red eyes – were sprinkled over the desk and bedside table.

Raven sat down on the carpet and crossed her legs, smiling as the fabric brushed against her pale skin. She lifted the orb of energy she'd collected to her eye level and let it hover. The black ball pulsed quietly as its creator surveyed it. Raven frowned in concentration, closed her eyes, and began to chant.

She didn't know how much time passed. The effort of containing the orb while simultaneously manipulating individual atoms back into place was taxing, and Raven found herself drenched in sweat. There was no room for error in this reconstruction; Raven needed this small piece of metal back exactly as it had been given to her.

The profile of Abraham Lincoln needed to be clear and shiny.

The Lincoln Memorial had to be restored exactly as it had been.

Raven needed to be able to trace her finger along the words "E Pluribus Unum," "Liberty," and "In God We Trust."

It had been a lucky 1997 penny, Beast Boy's lucky penny, and Raven needed it back as if a part of her had died with its loss.

When Raven opened her eyes her throat was dry and scratchy, her voice beginning to fail, and her uniform was stuck to her. Her skin was clammy and a headache pounded against the walls of her skull, but a shiny penny was floating in the air before her. The sight of it winded Raven. She'd wanted it back so desperately, but the logical part of her mind had never expected to see the coin again. A lone tear slipped down the girl's cheek and she brushed it away, attributing the emotional expression to exhaustion.

A loud rapping at her door startled Raven out of her nostalgic trance. She snatched the penny from the air and slipped it into the pocket at her hip before crossing her room to the door. The barrier slid open at Raven's touch, and the demoness stepped into the hallway.

Robin stood in the middle of the hall expectantly. There was something almost shy about Raven's teammate and leader, and the empath didn't miss the unusual emotional vibrations the young acrobat was producing. Robin was never this nervous.

"Raven," he started. "I was drawing up some of the official reports about… about the past few hours, and I was wondering if there was anything you wanted to add before I submitted it to the police."

Raven arched an eyebrow at her leader and tried in vain to see his eyes through the black and white mask that was always fixed over his face. Robin did everything by the book – every incident got reported to the city and the police – but every now and then, the Boy Wonder would make exceptions and allow his teammates, his friends, to fudge the facts that would incriminate them.

"I might have a few things to add," Raven said. Robin nodded curtly and started down the hall. Raven fell into step beside him.

"Are you alright, Raven?" Robin asked after an awkward silence. "Nobody's seen you all morning and with what happened…"

"You've seen me. Do I look okay?" Raven said. Robin fell silent and turned to face her. She could feel his gaze on her, penetrating her skin and gazing deeper, searching for a concealed wound. Robin was good at spotting the things people most wanted to hide, and the intensity of his gaze always made Raven feel uncomfortable. She fought the urge to squirm.

He shook his head and started walking again. That was the closest Robin got to prying: he would always let Raven know when she'd been found out, but it was her choice to talk to him about what was bothering her.

The living room door swung open as Robin and Raven approached, and Raven blanched. The computer file she'd expected to see on the main terminal was not present (the computer wasn't even on) but there was a plastic mat spread out on the floor. Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg were all standing around the sheet of plastic patiently. Red, blue, green, and yellow circles were arranged in rows on the plastic.

"Absolutely not," Raven said. She rounded on Robin. "How exactly did you see this going, Robin?"

"I've got an answer to that," Cyborg grinned from behind her. Raven narrowed her eyes and turned to her cybernetic friend. He smiled cheekily and flicked a spinner lying next to the Twister mat. "You'll put your left foot on blue."

"No."

"Come on, Rae," Beast Boy whined, pulling on the tips of his green ears. "You've never played this game! Ever! How can you say no without ever trying?"

"Like this," Raven replied, turning around and running into Robin's chest. The boy smirked at her. Raven took a self-conscious step back. Anticipation and excitement saturated the air, and the demoness turned back to the game. Beast Boy smiled encouragingly and gestured to the mat.

"Please, Raven. Robin has told me that this twisting game is a most popular form of entertainment for Earth teenagers," Starfire chimed. The Tamaranian drifted to Raven's side and took hold of her elbow, pulling gently, coaxing the demoness to take another step into the room.

Raven glanced from one Titan to the next, hoping to find an ally somewhere, but there were none forthcoming. "I'll work the spinner," she said.

"Alright!" Beast Boy grinned. "That's a good place to start." The changeling tossed the cardboard square to Raven, and she caught it deftly. The other four Titans each took up a side of the mat and waited.

"Right hand on red," Raven droned. Her friends knelt to comply with the instruction. When none of them were looking, Raven smiled.

ooooo

The room was stark white with no distracting windows or physical objects. Temple liked to keep the Observation Room sterile. The white stretched out in all directions, eliminating any sense of up or down. The only object that gave a directional indication sat in the middle of the blank space.

The Basin was large and ornately carved, made out of stone as white as its surroundings. The depths of the Basin swirled with molten color, throwing up a cascade of yellow and red, a blur of green and purple, and a myriad of other shades and colors that exploded in the liquid contents like fireworks. Temple was sitting with her back to the Basin. She had a large book opened in her lap.

The book's pages were yellowed with age. Temple was busy drawing lines through countless pages of annotations and mathematical equations with a gold quill. She flipped from one page to the other, consulting a gold abacus sitting next to her every few minutes.

Temple groaned and scratched out a line of particularly complex math. The Earth wasn't supposed to still exist, the release of Trigon the Terrible into that dimension was supposed to be permanent, and she'd factored that into her equations. And now all her equations, the course of history and time she'd charted, was useless.

The petite woman placed her book down and stood. The Basin flashed and winked at her, and Temple dragged her hand through the colorful depths. The colors stopped spinning and a picture of the eleventh dimension swam into view. From there the galactic system know to its inhabitants' as the Milky Way took form. And finally Temple was looking at the planet Earth, the country of America, the state of California, and a large T-shaped building that sat in the bay of Jump City.

"Poor Temple," crooned a voice behind her. She grimaced. "All your careful work undone. Does it make you angry?"

Temple turned to glare at the man addressing her. Seth just smirked back at her, swinging her amicus carelessly on the tip of one of his beefy fingers. Seth was a large man, both in stature and girth, and there was a glint to his cocoa eyes that made him look oddly depraved.

"What do you want, Seth?" she growled.

"I want to help you." At Temple's skeptical snarl he continued. "We don't always get along. Fine. But you did so much work, and Earth still existing throws all of it into the gutter. I know how much you like things to be orderly. Predictable."

Seth walked to Temple's side and gestured at the Basin. Five extraordinary teenagers were in the midst of playing Twister. A green octopus was currently being accused of cheating. Temple's hair was disheveled and scattered, and Seth gently pulled the mane of black hair behind the woman and put it in a sloppy ponytail.

"This planet isn't supposed to exist," Seth whispered. "Those people are supposed to be dead. I know we don't see eye to eye all the time, but Trigon's takeover was expected. I planned for it, you planned for it, and all the planning is undone now."

"You've never planned for anything in your life," Temple scoffed. "That's part of your problem: you have all this power and you don't stop to think before you do something stupid. I have work to do, Seth. Shouldn't you be throwing a civilization into chaos somewhere?"

"Morana will cover for me," Seth replied smoothly. "Urak won't know what hit it. You're wrong, though. I planned for this," he waved his beefy hand disdainfully at the Basin, "to be gone. Trigon and I had a deal. I had so many plans…" Seth trailed off, his eyes glinting madly.

"For once we're on the same page," Seth continued. "All your calculations are based off the assumption that the entire eleventh dimension was going to be thrown into anarchy and chaos. I can throw it into that chaos. I can fix this. And you can stop worrying about facts and figures and try having some fun for a change. Don't think about every little thing – just do."

Temple frowned and took her hair out of Seth's disgusting attempt of a ponytail before fixing the thick curls herself. Seth waited patiently, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the Basin.

"You think you can fix this?" she asked.

Seth grunted an affirmative.

"And I suppose you're telling me this because…"

"Because," Seth sighed, annoyed with Temple's intentional denseness, "what I have in mind is a little more… hands-on than usual. I need to go into the dimension and fix a few things in order for everything to fall apart just right."

"You need a counter to give you access," Temple said. She couldn't have been less enthusiastic.

"We were made in pairs," Seth smirked. "Think about it: you can spend the next century redoing a millennia worth of calculations for this dimension and every dimension that interacts with it… or you can give me a few hours on the surface. Do you really want to do all that work again, Temple? Especially considering that someone like me will mess it up anyway?"

Temple frowned. "The last time you got into a physical dimension you blew up four planets and made thirty-seven races extinct."

"But that would have happened anyway," Seth smirked, scooping up Temple's book and flipping to a page covered in black ink. "I'm just going to make sure we get back on track."

"I'd want something in exchange," Temple said eventually. "You, Morana, and Devin give me a lot of headaches."

"This isn't a negotiation session. I'm offering to do you a favor. You don't get a favor and a cookie!" Seth shouted, slamming the book closed. "If you want to run over all the facts and figures again, be my guest." Seth started to storm off, but Temple called him back.

"I'll give you one hour."

Seth grinned. That would be plenty of time. Temple rubbed her slender hands together over the Basin, chanting a language Seth didn't know under her breath. When she separated her hands, tan sand spilled into the Basin, making it glow and stick on the image of Jump City, California.

"One hour," Temple whispered as she picked up her book and amicus. Seth nodded and dove into the Basin, his sizable bulk slipping into the liquid without so much as a ripple.

ooooo

Anthony Baxter was lying awake in his cell. The cold stone of the prison walls loomed over the muscled man, dwarfing him and threatening to slam together, squeezing his frame until his entire body crumpled and popped like a ripe berry. Anthony did not like prison. He did not like the smell of fear that lingered in the air. He did not like the cocky guards who walked past his cell every fifteen minutes with their weapons in hand. He did not like the orange jumpsuit he wore. He did not like how his skin cried out for the sun's light. Above all else, Anthony hated being in a cage.

The muscled prisoner sat up and eyed the hallway expectantly. Being in prison had sharpened his internal clock. It told him the guards were late. The guards were never late. Footsteps sounded off the stone, and Anthony fell back onto his cot. There was a jangling of keys and the door to his cell opened.

"Baxter," said a rumbling tenor. Anthony looked up to see a large guard standing in his cell with him. The door was still open. He didn't recognize the guard, but the man looked out of shape.

"Yeah?"

The man breathed in deeply through his nose. "You're angry," he said with a smirk. Anthony felt his dormant anger flare. He hadn't been angry, annoyed perhaps, but now he found himself furious.

"And you're strong," the guard continued as he crossed to Anthony's side. He ran a hand down one of Anthony's bulging arms and the muscles tensed and flexed. "Oh... there is so much more to you than meets the eye. Your anger, your power. Let it out. Let it take you places you never knew existed."

A bright flash of bronze light shot from the guard's gun and slammed into Anthony's chest. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. He collapsed onto the ground and writhed on the stone. His body grew; the muscles on his arms, legs, and back inflated; his skin darkened until it was a gruesome brown; and two extra arms sprouted from his ribcage with a tremendous ripping sound.

Seth smiled at his creation before moving to the next target. Temple's hour was almost up, but he had time for one or two more masterpieces. Exactly thirty-four miles away in Titan's Tower an alarm went off.

Red light cascaded from the walls, and the computer terminal leapt to life without instruction. Beast Boy was so startled he collapsed on top of Starfire and Robin. Raven dropped the spinner and rushed to the computer. Her nimble fingers flew over the keyboard as she pulled up security footage of Jump City's maximum security penitentiary. The screen went dark before static covered the monitor.

"The cameras aren't working," Raven called over her shoulder. Robin pulled himself out from underneath Starfire and raced to Raven's side. The empath was already busy calling up the prison's layout. Red blips covered the map. Raven paled.

"That can't be right," Cyborg whispered from behind her. Raven hammered out a diagnostic command, and the screen reloaded. There were even more red blips than before.

"The entire prison is breaking out," Raven mumbled. Robin nodded grimly, his brow creased in thought. The immovable mask of Robin, leader of the Teen Titans, had fallen into place. The hero had taken over.

"Cyborg, get the T-car to the main gates now! That's the only way in or out, and we'll need a vehicle for pursuit. Raven, we need to be there now!"

Raven nodded, and her eyes lit up in white magic. Dark energy rose through the floor and wrapped around Beast Boy, Robin, Starfire, and the empath before the four teenagers sunk into the floor. Cyborg gaped at the map as even more breaches appeared on the screen. Then the cybernetic African-American turned on his heels and ran from the room.

Raven and the others erupted from the ground outside of the prison. Beast Boy shuddered from the chill of her magic, but the others were glaring defiantly at the steel-enforced gates. The ground shuddered beneath their feet, and both Raven and Starfire floated into the air. Green energy surrounded Starfire's clenched fists and glowed in her eyes. Robin narrowed his eyes and drew a flat disk from his utility belt.

The doors blew off their hinges and chaos ensued.

Prisoners spilled into the yard, their eyes crazed and starved for the freedom hanging just inches from their faces. All manner of people ended up in Jump City's maximum security prison, but they all had one thing in common: they were dangerous.

Robin hurled his disk into the midst of the fleeing prisoners, and they cried out as smoke erupted around them, causing them to gasp and wheeze. Starfire followed the strike by shooting a volley of starbolts into the cloud of smoke. There were a number of satisfying thuds as prisoners were bodily lifted and thrown backward.

The smoke cleared, and Raven's eyes widened. There was a woman standing in the threshold of the prison holding one of her former guard's guns. Reacting on years of training and conditioning, the empath called up a shield of black energy in front of her friends and her. Mere milliseconds after the shield sprung to life it was pounded by a hail of bullets. Raven clenched her teeth together as the bullets continued to slam into the barrier. Every strike left her slightly weaker.

Beast Boy leapt from the protective shield and morphed into a falcon, sailing into the air. A separate volley of fire chased after the green bird. Starfire grabbed a hold of Robin's cape and lifted him into the air, sailing toward the prisoners. Raven relaxed her shield and focused on protecting herself.

Gunfire was everywhere. Raven's ears rang with the deadly sound as she flew through the air, lifting fallen debris from the ground with her powers and hurling them at her attackers. The deluge of prisoners wouldn't stop, and Raven found herself tiring.

Beast Boy was standing alone in the midst of a group of heavily muscled men. With a quick transformation, the changeling was replaced by a green Ankylosaurus. The dinosaur swung its club-like tail at the group and tossed them left and right. Starfire was swooping through the air, leaving a trail of dust and green energy in her wake. Raven could see a number of dark bruises already peppering her friend's orange skin. Raven surrounded an unconscious prisoner in her powers and hurled the woman at a figure in her peripheral vision. Raven didn't expect the woman to crash into her moments later.

The empath righted herself quickly and gasped. There was a hulking creature standing before her. Its flesh was a muddy brown and its eyes were glazed by a milky sheen. Four muscled arms were attached to its torso, and its snarling face was fixed on her. Hatred pooled in the thing's eyes, and Raven could practically taste the animal's rage. And it was an animal. There was something unnatural about it. There wasn't a flicker of human consciousness in its mind.

The creature howled and lunged at Raven, all four of its arms swinging madly in the air. Raven ducked and dodged the massive blows, throwing up magical shields to intercept the attacks, but she didn't try to maintain the shields. A part of her knew they would break, and that would leave her vulnerable while she recovered from the mental shock.

A flurry of starbolts slammed into the creature's side, granting Raven a brief reprieve and enough time to slam a magic encased hand into the thing's chest. Neither the starbolts nor Raven's attack did more than irritate the abomination.

The monstrosity howled and grabbed for Raven. She tried to summon her powers, but the thing was too fast. One of its lower arms latched onto her ankle, and Raven was hoisted into the air. The creature drew back its three other fists to strike at her, but the blow never came. A screaming jet of sonic energy ripped through the air and slammed into the monster's back. It dropped Raven with a howl.

"Yo! Can't you guys do anything without me?" Cyborg called. He didn't get a response.

The battle was in full pitch. Bodies flew through the air, and gunfire rang through the battlefield. Raven found herself squaring off against the four armed creature. It grunted at her and charged. She was ready for the attack, and she vanished in a swirling vortex of black magic. The demoness reappeared behind the creature and delivered a strong kick to the back of its head.

A cry from behind Raven caught her attention. She summoned a wall of her powers and pushed against the monster before her, sending the creature sliding across the ground and away from her, before throwing a look over her shoulder. Starfire was lying on the ground fifty meters from her. The Tamaranian was bleeding profusely, her hands clasped over the wounds in her chest. The blood was soaking into the ground. Raven couldn't see where the shots had come from, but her friend was quickly being surrounded.

Explosions of noise and light sprung from the ground around Starfire as Robin leapt into action. The spiky haired boy drew his bo staff from his utility belt and downed fifteen people with a series of quick upward snaps and violent forward thrusts. No one tried to get to Starfire, instead circling Robin wearily.

There was a loud crunch next to Raven and she redirected her attention. Cyborg was standing inches away from her with his metallic fist still in the motion of following through with a punch. The creature Raven had been engaging was sliding across the ground on its bottom.

"Pay attention, Rae!" Cyborg shouted. The mechanical superhero leveled his arm at the four armed animal. The panels opened and shifted around his circuitry, opening up a circular orifice that fed directly into Cyborg's circuitry. A screeching jet of energy flew forth and slammed into the creature's head. It collapsed and did not rise.

A pterodactyl flew overhead and dove to the ground. Beast Boy morphed back to his original form gasping desperately. "There's a thing!" he shouted. The panic in his voice was tangible. The changeling didn't get a chance to elaborate before a woman burst through the throng of racing prisoners.

Beast Boy had been right in calling her a thing. Raven could feel the undercurrents of human emotion from her, but there was something fundamentally wrong – twisted – inside of her. Her skin was the color of fresh mulch and her eyes had the same milky sheen over them as the creature Cyborg had dispatched. Quills and spikes sprouted from her neck and limbs, each point glinting menacingly in the morning light.

Raven concentrated on the ground under Beast Boy's feet and opened a portal. The changeling sunk into the ground just as an eruption of projectile quills rained down on his position. The quills impacted harmlessly on the dirt.

A portal of black energy opened in the folds of Raven's cloak, and she deposited Beast Boy back in the appropriate dimension. The elf shuddered before launching into the air and transforming into an armadillo. Cyborg took the cue and spiked the armored mammal at the woman. The armored ball of green collided with the woman's torso, and both Beast Boy and the woman flew backward.

"Starfire's been shot," Raven called to Cyborg before racing after Beast Boy's bouncing form. Cyborg nodded and disappeared into the sea of fleeing convicts; only the occasional burst of sonic energy narrated his passage through the rapidly deteriorating battlefield. Unconscious bodies littered the ground, but even more had escaped in the chaos.

Raven's flight through the battlefield could be described as nothing less than reckless. The woman Beast Boy hit was crouched on the ground with two large spines extended from her elbows. She held her arms like she was preparing to throw an elbow forward, and Raven knew that would fire the spines sticking out of her flesh. A green tiger was stalking the woman, its teeth barred and a throaty growl issuing from its large mouth.

The woman shot one of her elbows forward. Beast Boy leapt out of the way, and the thorny projectile slammed into the earth. Once it was embedded in the ground, tiny hooks snapped up into the air. The second spike was quick to follow.

"Azarath! Metrion! Zinthos!" Raven yelled. She thrust her hand out and desperately tried to wrap the object in her powers. The thorn stopped three feet from Beast Boy's hind flank. With a grunt of exertion, Raven flipped the thorn over and shot it back at the woman. She jumped nimbly to the side and cocked her head at Raven.

Quills rose up along the length of the woman's arms and legs. In a matter of seconds she resembled a giant porcupine. Raven narrowed her eyes and prepared to counter whatever attack was coming. The emotions the creature was emitting changed subtly. They were still fundamentally twisted and inhuman, but there was some extra venom in the mix now.

"Beast Boy, those quills are poisonous," Raven shouted to the tiger. She wasn't sure how she knew that, but the second the words left her mouth they felt right. The quills started vibrating, waving back and forth along the creature's flesh until their afterimage and the real thing were indistinguishable.

It was like a bomb went off. Raven could hear the horrible rending sound as flesh and bone separated from the quills. Beast Boy and Raven reacted instantly: the changeling morphed into a kangaroo and jumped into the air; Raven summoned two shields of black energy, one protecting her and the other covering Beast Boy's accelerating form as he fell toward the woman.

A large spike tore through the woman's spine, exiting at the base of her skull, and rocketed through the air toward Beast Boy. Raven tried to reposition the shield – it had been constructed to protect from frontal attacks and wouldn't stop the thorn.

Raven watched in horror as the spike moved in slow motion toward Beast Boy's tail. The changeling's form was already shifting in an attempt to minimalize the damage. He wasn't fast enough. Right before the spike hit Beast Boy, a colored blur sailed underneath him, clipping the thorn's tip and sending it harmlessly away.

Robin hit the ground with tremendous force and staggered, falling into a roll when his legs failed him. Raven could feel pain emanating from her leader, and a sinking feeling in her gut told her Robin had been hit.

Beast Boy was hammering the woman left and right with large gorilla fists. The changeling didn't let up, even when more spines rose from his opponent's flesh. Raven encased every quill, spike, spine, and thorn in black magic, sealing it in place and leaving the monstrosity unarmed against a very angry primate. The creature collapsed under a brutal blow to the temple and did not rise.

Raven was beside Robin instantly. The acrobat was breathing heavily and his skin was damp with cold sweat.

"Where were you hit?" she asked. Robin nodded to his right leg before lying back against the ground. Raven probed the leg gingerly and found a deep cut along the back of Robin's calf.

"You've been poisoned," Raven intoned. "Try to relax. Breathe deeply through your nose and out through your mouth. You need to slow your heartbeat." The sorceress placed both her pale hands on Robin's leg and willed healing energy into the wound. The toxin wasn't something she'd encountered before. Just like with the two creatures lying unconscious in the midst of the battlefield, there was something fundamentally corrupt and unnatural about it.

The screech of sonic energy broke Raven's concentration. She glanced over at Cyborg and saw her metallic friend standing guard over an unconscious Starfire. He was firing his sonic cannon nonstop at the same four armed creature he'd put down earlier.

The creature felt different to Raven. There was a twisted mind in the body, but it felt like there was a separate entity in the body other than its natural inhabitant. Beast Boy was already racing toward the animal, shifting into a triceratops as he ran. The creature didn't even look in Beast Boy's direction. Right before Beast Boy hit it, two extra arms popped out of the monster's body, grabbing a hold of Beast Boy's horns. The creature flipped onto Beast Boy's back.

The changeling shifted into an anaconda and wrapped around his attacker. He started squeezing, careful to keep all six arms trapped at the creature's side. Suddenly the creature went limp in Beast Boy's grip, and a shadowy creature erupted from the animal's head. It flew straight into Beast Boy. The changeling started convulsing. Raven gasped as the separate presence made sense. The creature had been possessed, and now Beast Boy was undergoing the same trauma. The anaconda dropped its prey and writhed on the ground. The snake fell still.

"B?" Cyborg asked uncertainly.

"He's been possessed. Don't get close," Raven snapped. Cyborg's eyes widened and he nodded, leveling his sonic cannon at the prone snake. Beast Boy's form twisted and morphed into a falcon before he took to the air.

"Take care of Starfire and Robin," Raven shouted as she lifted into the air. "I'll get Beast Boy." It wasn't until after ten minutes of chasing Beast Boy through Jump City that Raven realized she forgot to tell Cyborg that Robin had been poisoned. The empath drew her communicator from her belt and switched it on, careful to keep Beast Boy in her sights at all times.

"I'm a little busy, Rae," Cyborg grunted. She didn't look at the screen.

"I forgot to tell you Robin was poisoned. I've never seen the toxin before."

"I know he was poisoned. That's the problem. Whatever got into his system is tearing him apart." Cyborg cursed. "Where are you?"

"The industrial district, block E3," Raven replied, using the ridiculous navigation grid Robin had created of Jump City and drilled into all of their brains. It sounded stupid, but it had also been an invaluable tool over the past few years.

"I can't get close enough to Beast Boy to engage him." The green falcon ahead veered sharply around the edge of a skyscraper. Raven was hot behind him. "I'll be back as soon as–"

Raven screamed as she was jerked out of the air. Her communicator fell from her hand. The demoness tried to right herself as she fell, but the octopus wrapped around her made it difficult. Her arms and legs were trapped to her side; her vision was partially obscured by a suctioned appendage; and they were falling fast.

Raven managed to twist one of her hands so it was planted against the octopus' side. "Sorry, Beast Boy. Azarath! Metrion! Zinthos!"

A claw of black energy formed around Raven's hand and thrust forward. The magic penetrated the invertebrate easily. The animal released her and was thrown into the air. The octopus slammed into the skyscraper it had used to ambush her, and the windows shattered. Raven flew in after it.

Beast Boy was standing at the far side of the room when Raven entered. The changeling was covered in cuts and bruises. The window behind him was broken. Beast Boy smirked before jumping out of the window. Moments later a black shade flew in the opposite direction. Raven launched herself into the air to give chase. Now that it was out of Beast Boy, she could stop holding back.

"Raven!"

The empath stopped and turned. Beast Boy was falling to the ground. She'd expected him to transform, but the green elf was plummeting to the ground with his arms outstretched and his face twisted in fear.

Cursing the shade, Raven flipped over and went into a dive. She reached out with her powers, but something was wrong; her powers couldn't find a purchase on Beast Boy. Every grab she made for him slipped off uselessly. The ground was getting closer, and Raven put on an extra burst of speed.

Cars grew from the size of Hot Wheels to the size of Raven's palm, and they were getting closer by the second. People went from microscopic specks to men and women. Beast Boy was holding his arms out to Raven, reaching desperately for her.

She caught up with Beast Boy and grabbed his hand. Raven tried to pull out of the dive, but they had too much momentum. She closed her eyes and braced herself, screaming as they collided with the ground. Air fled from her lungs and a rib cracked. Beast Boy and Raven bounced twice before rolling to a stop in front of a pizza parlor, but both were unconscious long before that.

* * *

**AN**: It's been a while since I posted anything here. I'm a little nervous. Please tell me what you thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay. Before we start in on the second chapter, there are a few things I have to say.

To everyone who reviewed, thank you! I always tell myself that getting reviews isn't my objective when I write, but I'd be lying (quite badly) if I said they didn't make me happy. If you left a signed review, I should have replied to it. (If it bothered you, tell me and I won't do it again.) On the note of replying to reviews, I have a few words for my anonymous reviewer. Well, more than a few...

First off, thank you so much. If getting reviews makes me happy, getting a review that shows me I have an active reader invested enough in the success of my story that s/he takes the time to tell me what's wrong with my work makes me positively giddy! I took what you said into consideration.

Nice catch on Temple's recap of Seth's tendency to destroy things. She said "races" and I meant it to mean humans, Tamaranians, etc. Knowing the line came across as less than clear is good to know.

I have no real response to your comment about Starfire getting shot. You're right insofar as the show lets her off unharmed (kids' show) but, for what it's worth, I try to maintain consistency in my stories. Showing the people behind the heroes, with all their mortality and emotional baggage, is something I strive for. And I won't tell you to go away (perish the thought) so I hope to hear from you again.

Now I've talked enough. On with the show!

* * *

"You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give." - Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

**Darkness Calls: Chapter 2**

Raven awoke to the sound of chiming machinery. There was a steady rhythm near her, and she giggled when she realized the rhythm was a perfect match to the blood pulsing in her ears.

Raven's chest screamed in protest of the tiny giggle, and she stopped. She was in pain. The girl frowned. Her healing powers had always patched her up whether she was conscious or not. The empath concentrated, and her powers picked her off the bed she was lying on. An envelope of healing magic cocooned her, and the pain began to abate. Raven registered briefly that she had a mending rib before her healing magic pulsed over the injured bone, setting it right.

"I am pleased to see you awake."

The sorceress opened her eyes and lowered herself to the bed, keeping her healing magic flowing. Starfire was sitting in a bed next to her. The cheery Tamaranian looked haggard and drawn. Her torso was wrapped in medical gauze. The dressing needed to be changed.

There were two other beds in the room. Robin was lying on one, hooked up to all manner of monitoring equipment. The leader of the Teen Titans had tubes in his mouth and both arms that were pumping him full of drugs and nutrients. His skin was beginning to show signs of jaundice, and his body was shaking intermittently.

Beast Boy was in the other bed. The green changeling appeared unharmed, but he was sitting up in bed with his eyes fixed on the far wall. Raven could feel anguish cascading off him, and she knew the team jokester was in a world all his own.

"Are you okay, Starfire?" Raven asked when she saw the bandages wrapped around her friend's torso. It all came flooding back to Raven – Starfire had been shot.

"I thank you for your concern. Cyborg was able to remove the bullets and replenish my blood supply. Nothing was broken, and I shall make a full recovery with time." Starfire lapsed into pained silence. "But I fear the damage done to me is the least of our concerns."

Before Raven could ask, Starfire elaborated. "Robin has not awoken, and Cyborg does not know how to remove the toxin in his body."

"You're hurt. I could–" Starfire shook her head, cutting Raven off.

"The pain is something I must bear if I am to learn. It is no matter: I have endured worse." The empath didn't know how to respond to that cryptic declaration.

"Why's Beast Boy in here?" Raven asked, and she found herself whispering without meaning to lower her voice. The changeling hated hospitals; he should have gotten up and left once his injuries were healed.

"Friend Cyborg says he is in shock. The creature that possessed Beast Boy stabilized his DNA," Starfire said. Raven blinked. Realization washed over her seconds later. If Beast Boy's DNA had been stabilized by that shade then he would be unable to transform. That explained why he hadn't taken flight when he was falling.

The empath looked up and saw Beast Boy staring at her. His eyes were vacant; the little spark that always lingered in the former changeling's eyes had been smothered and buried under layers of loss. Raven instinctively drew her powers into herself, minimalizing her empathetic abilities. She knew what she'd feel and did not want to share Beast Boy's pain.

That thing took a huge chunk out of Beast Boy's identity.

Starfire caught Raven's eye and frowned in understanding. The Tamaranian turned to face Beast Boy and tried to engage the former changeling in conversation. Her efforts were useless, and he continued to gaze at the two Titan girls blindly. In all her time knowing him, Raven had never wanted Beast Boy to make a joke, but she would have gladly paid for one of his jokes at that moment, no matter how bad it was.

That thing had broken Beast Boy.

"Where's Cyborg?" Raven asked.

"He has been constantly busy searching for a cure to Robin's condition," Starfire said with a worried glance at their leader. "And when he is not attempting to find an antidote, he is busy assisting the police in the search for the prisoners we were unable to capture and contain."

Raven winced internally. It sounded like she'd been out for a while, and she was afraid to ask exactly how long it had been. The idea of Cyborg doing all that work by himself made Raven feel sick, as if she'd failed her friend somehow. They all had.

"Why isn't Beast Boy helping?" Raven asked. Starfire gasped at the question, and Raven felt like reaching out and dragging the rouge words back into her mouth. She'd spoken without thinking. The idea that Beast Boy was just a civilian was too new, too strange, for her to accept, but the green boy didn't have Robin's martial prowess. Without his powers, Beast Boy couldn't be a superhero. He couldn't be a Titan.

The former changeling was looking at Raven again, she could tell, but she avoided his gaze. He should have yelled, he should have glared, he should have shot off a scathing remark. Anything would have been better than his vacant stare. The door to the medical bay swung open, and Cyborg walked into the room with two trays of food stacked one on top of the other.

"Hey, Starfire. B. I brought you guys something to eat, if you're up to it."

Starfire shook her head. Beast Boy remained silent. "I do not require nourishing," Starfire smiled. "But I believe Raven is prepared for a meal after four days fasting."

The empath smiled gratefully at Cyborg and inclined her head at Starfire. The alien princess was getting good at reading her; Starfire had picked up on Raven's disorientation and volunteered the information in a subtle way that protected the empath's pride. A few months ago, Raven would have been horrified by the prospect of someone getting to know her that well, but now the fact couldn't have made her happier.

Raven scowled at her soup as Cyborg placed it in her lap. There was something unnatural about all this: her powers hadn't reacted to her injuries, and she shouldn't have been unconscious for that long. The fall had hurt, but four days was too long.

"I'm feeling better," Raven said. "When I'm done eating, I'll help you with one of the antidotes." Cyborg fidgeted and cast a sidelong look at Beast Boy. He turned his body so it blocked his hands from view and held up a single finger.

"Why?" Raven demanded, putting her spoon down with a dull clink.

Cyborg glanced at Beast Boy and sighed. "His DNA is stable. I'd have to intentionally disrupt his genetic sequence to cure him. That could kill him. Hopefully, whatever that thing did to him is temporary."

Raven nodded and placed her tray on the bed, sitting up and walking unsteadily to Beast Boy's side. The former changeling did not react to her approach. He still looked like Beast Boy. His ears were still pointed. His skin was still green. A single canine still stuck up from his lower lip. Raven waved her hand over his motionless form and concentrated. She'd been unable to use her powers on Beast Boy while he was falling because of something the shade did to him. If that effect was only temporary, then the stable DNA might be temporary as well.

A black sheen formed around Beast Boy's torso, and the green boy shivered. Raven withdrew her powers and gave Beast Boy a small nod.

"How do you feel, Beast Boy?" she whispered. He didn't acknowledge the question. "Beast Boy?" she pressed.

"Stop," he said. Beast Boy's voice was sharp and raspy. The words tore out of his mouth with a bitterness and self-pity she'd never heard from him before. Even after Terra's death, Beast Boy had not sounded this hopeless. The empath's heart wrenched in sympathy.

"Just stop, Raven. I don't want to talk."

The demoness scowled at the green boy before taking a deep breath and wiping all traces of emotion from her mind. The annoyance, concern, and shock were washed away, replaced by a sea of tranquil rationality.

"Fine," Raven said before going back to her bed and picking up her tray. With a last nod to Starfire and Cyborg, she swept out of the room. The halls of Titan's Tower were eerily silent as Raven headed to the living room. The empath often complained about all the noise the boys made, but the tower felt wrong without Robin's stereo system blaring or Cyborg and Beast Boy yelling at each other over some idiotic triviality.

The kitchen was swamped by dirty dishes. The pot Cyborg used to cook Raven's soup was still warm on the stove. She walked to the sink and turned on the water, letting the warm jet flow over her skin and splash against the grimy crust on the bottom of a casserole dish. The water and the suds had a soothing effect on Raven. She washed the casserole dish until it sparkled like new spun glass, and then she continued to scrub away at imaginary dirt on the gleaming surface.

"That's the most he's said in two days," Cyborg said from behind her. The eldest Titan picked up a drying rag and took the casserole dish from Raven's hands. "He's really out of it, but I haven't had time to help him out. I've let the guy down. Between you, Robin, Starfire, and the prisoners I haven't had the time…" Cyborg vented a frustrated growl.

"The prisoners can wait for now," Raven said, picking up her second-in-command role without realizing it. Cyborg nodded and waited, deferring to her judgment. That alone spoke volumes about how much trust and respect Raven commanded from Cyborg. The head-strong boy used to clash constantly with Robin about the distribution of power.

"Robin and Beast Boy need to be our priorities. We'll deal with the prisoners as needed. What have you found out about the toxin?" Raven asked as she started scrubbing at a cereal bowl with food crusted to its rim.

"I've never seen anything like it," Cyborg said. The drying rag sighed over the wet glass as he dried the dish. "It's some sort of hemotoxin. Robin's red blood cells are being shredded, and his liver and kidneys are beginning to degenerate. I put him on a drug cocktail, and it's slowed the rate down, but the thing's chemical structure… It's almost like the toxin is adapting. Robin's condition keeps getting worse, and tissue around the wound is getting more and more inflamed no matter what I do. He might lose his leg if this keeps up."

Raven closed her eyes as two waves of grief consumed her senses, one from Cyborg and one stemming from her own usually silent emotions. The attack had been meant for Beast Boy. Robin had saved the green jokester from almost certain death, but now the Boy Wonder was facing almost certain death himself. Raven was no doctor, but she knew a few basics, and she knew Cyborg would never sound so grim unless he was positive. It was only a matter of time.

"You don't think the toxin is natural, so let's start there. The creature that poisoned Robin felt wrong to me. I'll look into adaptive toxins and try to figure out what we're dealing with. Cyborg, we need all the time we can get. You have to outsmart the toxin. If it's adapting, let's give it a lot to adapt to."

Cyborg nodded grimly. The only way to do that would be to pump Robin full of miscellaneous drugs. It was a risky move, and they both knew it.

"Is Starfire well enough to help me?" Raven asked, passing the bowl she'd been washing to Cyborg.

"She should be," Cyborg said after a pause. "Star can't do any strenuous work, especially without being on pain meds, but reading should be fine. Don't tell Beast Boy or her how bad it is, not if you don't have to. They wouldn't deal with it well, especially in their condition."

Raven swept to the door and paused as the doors swished open. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that alone for so long," she said before disappearing. The pain etched in Cyborg's soul lingered as Raven walked down the halls to her room. He'd been shouldering a monumental burden by himself from the moment he'd started treating Robin.

Raven knew she loved Cyborg, but the depth of that love was just beginning to reveal itself. For four days he'd tried to save Robin from a poison he knew had no cure; he'd patched up Starfire's wounds and watched her refuse pain medication; he'd run around the city to capture the dangerous men and women who'd gotten away during the battle; and he'd seen his best friend slowly curl into himself and die, swallowed by the beast of depression. Raven felt a spike of rage flare to life when she thought about Beast Boy, sitting in bed feeling sorry for himself when Robin was dying only meters away from him.

The demoness smothered the rage. Beast Boy didn't have his powers any more, but his nose doubtlessly maintained its animal keenness. Animals could smell death. Raven had no doubt that Beast Boy knew exactly what was happening to Robin.

Books flew off the shelves when Raven entered her room. She grabbed everything she could think of – spell books, history books, and science books. The hardback books fluttered around Raven as she pulled more and more from their perches. Raven rushed out of her room and headed back to the medical bay once the majority of her library was in tow.

She left her fiction and mythology books alone.

ooooo

The surface of the Basin shimmered as Raven's door slammed behind her. Morana chuckled merrily at the empath's retreat.

"Mistake," she cooed at the Basin. Morana's sharp gray eyes landed on Raven's untouched mythology books and she laughed again, long and hard. The sound echoed in the vast chamber with a ring like clashing blades. "But why would you look to fiction or mythology to explain the supernatural when you can consult your little magic books?"

Morana was a short woman with a rich Asian complexion and viciously short hair. It was a form that appealed to her, and so she adopted it, though she'd played with the appearance of her physical form many times.

The Basin flickered to a topographical view of Raven and Starfire sitting in their hospital beds with large books cracked open in their laps. Beast Boy was staring with vacant eyes at the pile of books, something flickering in the depths of his green eyes, a shadow of the Titan. The hero.

"Oh, Seth, your mind is so delicious…" she whispered. There was a rumbling chuckle behind her.

"You think so?" Seth asked with a smirk.

Morana smiled warmly and walked over to the beefy man, rolling her hips seductively as she approached. "That isn't the only thing," she breathed, licking Seth's neck and trailing a hand across his chest. Her nails snagged loose threads on Seth's shirt. The beefy man cleared his throat impatiently and walked to the Basin. Morana grinned and followed him.

"How did you get Temple to agree to this?" Morana asked.

"I appealed to her sense of order. Earth surviving Trigon's rein wasn't part of the plan," Seth replied. He waved his hand over the Basin and the image started to play in reverse, an indistinct blur of color. The scene came to rest, revealing Cyborg working feverishly on Robin's limp body while Starfire held a cloth to the holes in her chest. Cyborg's arm chimed as Raven called his communicator.

"And things have to go according to Temple's little plan – even when the plan is horrifying. Smart," Morana said.

Seth nodded. He wasn't truly hearing the praise, and were he listening, he wouldn't have heard anything unknown to him. It only took a few millennia of studying people to be able to manipulate them. Temple was the easiest: Seth usually just had to think about what he _wouldn't_ do in the same situation.

"How long do you think we should play with our food?" Morana asked with an impish giggle. She ran a finger along the rim of the Basin. Grains of black sand formed in her finger's wake.

"Only me," Seth said distantly. "It was part of the deal. I got one hour to fix things and then Temple put the entire dimension on lock-down. Nothing can get in or out unless it's through a window."

Morana scoffed and swept the black sand onto the gleaming floor. The white surface sizzled against the sand before the black matter evaporated. "Where's the window?" she snapped.

"Not here. I only made the one, and it isn't connected to us," Seth said. "It will take a while for it to open up enough for things to travel between the dimensions. It's out of our control now, Morana. Isn't it magnificent?" Seth closed his eyes and breathed deeply, intentionally ignoring the seething Asian next to him.

"Some of us would have preferred some insurance," Morana hissed.

"Where's the fun in that?"

ooooo

Raven snapped the book before her closed and tossed it onto the floor. Beast Boy's eyes trailed the text to the floor. Starfire was busily thumbing through a chemistry textbook, but she wasn't finding anything Cyborg hadn't already told Raven. The empath listened to her friend's discoveries impassively, praising the cheery girl for her efforts. It wouldn't be helpful for Starfire to be demoralized. Unfortunately, if the Tamaranian kept moving at this pace, she'd discover Robin's chances of survival on her own.

Starfire closed the book before her and placed it on her bed. The girl's brow knitted in thought. She started fiddling with her fiery locks as she worked through her thoughts.

"Raven, why is Robin not getting better if he is on treatment for all known sources of hemotoxin on Earth?" The redhead floated over to Robin and put a hand on his sweaty brow. His skin was clammy.

"The toxin isn't natural to Earth," Raven said at length, picking up one of her spell books and showing the cover to Starfire. "Cyborg has managed to slow it down, but there doesn't appear to be a modern cure."

The gentle beep of Robin's heart monitor was the only sound for a long minute. Starfire landed on the ground. Raven could feel the flash of recognition and the avalanche of emotions that followed, plowing into each other and crushing each other with their mass until one distraught emotion was indistinguishable from another. Starfire hadn't landed willingly: she was in too much emotional pain to feel the joy that facilitated flight.

"Robin is dying," she said numbly. She shook her head violently, and Raven eyed the dressing around the Tamaranian's chest apprehensively. "No! That cannot be correct. Cyborg must be mistaking in his diagnosis. There is a remedy somewhere on this planet that can repair the damage done to Robin! Raven, Cyborg must redo the tests!"

Raven tried to keep her mental defenses erect against the onslaught of Starfire's emotions; they poured off the alien girl and crashed against the empath's mind, demanding entry. Raven put her spell book in her lap and motioned for Starfire to sit on the bed next to her. Starfire dropped onto the mattress.

"We're going to do everything we can to help Robin. Starfire, you have to look at me," Raven insisted when Starfire's eyes strayed to her clasped hands. "We're going to do everything we can to cure Robin, but you should know that he probably won't survive."

Starfire growled. Her eyes shone brightly with green radiation. "You claim we shall attempt every possibility, but you already believe our efforts are doomed to failure. You have already given up."

The bitterness in Starfire's words stung Raven, and the sorceress sucked in a startled breath. She'd only heard Starfire this mad once or twice, but the anger had never been directed at her. It wounded Raven to her Starfire speak to her like that.

"I haven't given up, Starfire. I owe Robin too much to give up on him like that. But we don't know what we're dealing with, and we're on the clock. There's only so much abuse his body can take before it's overtaxed."

Raven pointed at the monitor reporting Robin's brain activity. Waves were spiking along the readout. Starfire followed Raven's eyes. They both knew Robin would be in unimaginable pain if he was conscious. Being unconscious would only protect him for so long before his psyche was scarred or destroyed.

"I do not wish for Robin to die," Starfire mumbled. Tears slipped from lipid emerald pools and blazed paths down Starfire's tanned skin.

"We'll do what we can," Raven said. The promise sounded weak to her, and Starfire wilted. "Listen, Starfire, I need your help. Robin's in trouble. I can't go through all these books by myself."

There was a slithering sound in the corner and all the books stacked there toppled over. Beast Boy moaned and poked his head out from under the mountain of texts. The former changeling rubbed his head and picked up the closest book.

"Three is better than two, Star. Especially because I'm really bad at this type of thing," Beast Boy said. Raven arched an eyebrow at the green teenager. His eyes were still distant, and his emotions felt muted.

The three Titans lapsed into silence as they worked through Raven's books. The sun peaked in the sky and began its slow descent into the spires of Jump City. The golden globe was impaled on the first skyscraper on the skyline when the Titan's alarm went off. Red lights flashed and the klaxon blared. Raven shot to her feet. She drew her new communicator from her belt.

"Both of you stay here and keep working. Cyborg," Raven said, snapping the communicator open. "Meet me in the garage. You and I will take this." As Raven rushed out of the medical bay, she caught a faint emotion from Beast Boy. It was fleeting and quickly suppressed. She didn't stop to puzzle over it.

The door to the garage opened at the empath's approach. Cyborg was already sitting in the driver's seat of the T-car. The engine was running. Raven threw herself into the passenger side seat and buckled up. Cyborg caught Raven's expression and cursed.

"Star knows?"

"She's smart. We should have expected she'd figure it out sooner or later," Raven said.

The propulsion jets installed on the underside of Cyborg's baby gunned to life and lifted the car into the air. The tower dwindled in the rear-view mirror as the technological wonder Cyborg constructed flew over the bay toward Jump City. Water rippled under the T-car as it flew over the sea. Salty spray splashed against the car's underside. Cyborg punched the radio to life, and radio traffic filled the car.

"We have an officer down! Repeat, officer down!"

"Suspect last seen on foot heading south-east on McArthur Boulevard."

"We need an ambulance at 2231 Glossy Fields. Three civilians in need of immediate medical attention."

"Suspect seen on Abyssinia Road heading–"

The report was cut off by a gurgled scream. The officer's last moments were transmitted over the radio as she drowned in a stream of her own blood. Cyborg turned the wheel sharply, his jaw set. Raven reached out with her perceptions in search of the fear and pain that would be sewn in the monster's wake.

"She's heading west."

Neither Raven nor Cyborg had ever seen Abyssinia Road. They both knew the road was a part of the residential district, block A7, but they'd never seen the street. It was easy to spot: police cars lay overturned in the road, large gouge marks left in the concrete. Spikes stuck out of the ground and the cars. They were embedded in houses and sticking merrily out of ruined mailboxes.

Cyborg whistled to relieve his stress. Raven reached out with her powers and tried to find the twisted emotional presence she'd felt in all three of the creatures at the prison. The presence was very angry, venomous, and directly behind the T-car.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven shouted. Black energy enveloped the car and shot it into the air. There was a powerful impact beneath the vehicle, and concrete shrapnel pounded against the car's stomach.

Raven released her hold on the T-car and threw her door open. She released the latch of her seatbelt and flew into the air. The T-car continued down to the road without her. A large quill slammed into Raven's protective shield the moment she summoned it. The shock of the impact made Raven wince, and she dropped a few feet closer to the ground before regaining control.

The creature was crouching behind the remains of a police cruiser. A dead officer was resting against the crumpled metal, coated in the crimson coat of her life's essence. The creature's skin was covered in quivering barbs, and Raven narrowed her eyes.

"Let's end this!" Raven called to the creature. The empath crossed her legs and closed her eyes, careful to remain mindful of her surroundings.

"Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos!"

A flash of white light consumed Raven before the empath flew from her body. Raven's embodied soul – her soul self – rocketed toward the woman. Poisonous spines shot through Raven's magical body harmlessly. The black form dove into the creature. What Raven encountered inside was unlike anything she'd ever encountered.

The demoness had used her soul self to fly into other people and things before. She'd flown into Robin's mind; she'd flown into monstrous toxic sludge; she'd once (on Beast Boy's suggestion) entered the couch in the living room. Nobody knew about that. Those had emotions and thoughts in them or at least trace amounts from external sources – an essence Raven could grab onto and use to navigate. There was nothing like that inside the creature.

Raven cast about inside the creature's mind in search of a thought, an emotion – anything – she could use as an anchor and a reference point. She found herself caught in the midst of a churning sea of tortured consciousness without a single concrete thought or emotion to guide her. It was nothing but utter chaos. Raven thrashed around in the turmoil.

There was so much. There was nothing. The creature's very essence was shredded to ribbons, twisted and deformed until a screaming mass of indistinct soul struggled to salvage itself from the wreckage – the remains of a wanton slaughter. Raven could feel a weak mind buried in the quagmire. The mind was ashamed and afraid, robbed of her body and senses. Raven was positive she would have vomited if her embodied soul had a stomach.

Dread settled over the empath when she realized exactly how much trouble she was in: she didn't know how to get out. She had no reference points, no guides, and was essentially trapped in the undefined quicksand of this creature. She was trapped in this abomination's body, sharing the pain of a woman whose very soul had been effaced.

Pain ripped through the tormented creature, and Raven writhed under the shared pain. Rationally, she knew that Cyborg had just shot the woman with his sonic cannon, but the demoness had a hard time hearing her thoughts over the screeching semi-emotions around her. Confusion, anger, pain, humiliation, rage, terror. They clashed together and threatened to asphyxiate Raven with their frenetic mass. The empath tried to use the semi-emotions as anchors and guides, but they evaporated so quickly. It was like trying to climb back out of thin ice: every bit of progress was rewarded by an immediate and inevitable new break, making the task all that much harder.

"You're not supposed to be here," a voice barked. It was a deep, male voice, and no sooner had Raven registered what it said than her soul self was propelled out of the creature's body. Raven crashed into her body and fell to the ground. She rolled over and promptly emptied the contents of her stomach.

The shaken girl rose to her knees and stared at the abomination, horrified. Cyborg was busy slamming into the monstrosity. His metal plating kept Cyborg safe from her poisonous attacks (he didn't have many biological components that could be harmed), but the eldest Titan was careful to shield sensitive areas. That woman was not human. She had been human once, but now there was absolutely nothing but power and anarchy and the tatters of an eviscerated soul.

"I'm sorry," Raven rasped. She grabbed a collection of large spikes with her powers. The massive spines rose into the air. Raven surrounded Cyborg in her powers, picking up the startled boy and tossing him out of the way as four large projectiles sped toward the creature. It didn't have enough time to dodge. Three of the spikes hit their mark, driving through the woman's flesh and exiting on the other side of her body to slam into the earth.

Cyborg gaped at the dead creature.

"You killed her," he said as he picked himself off the ground.

"It. That thing wasn't human," Raven spat. She closed her eyes and wiped her anger and disgust away.

"Neither is Starfire," Cyborg pointed out.

Raven shook her head. Cyborg needed to understand. "There was nothing there. That thing used to be a human being, but there was nothing left. Nothing but pure and utter chaos. I had to put her out of her misery." Raven closed her eyes. The bitter taste of vomit coated her tongue. Her throat burned. "And there are two more of these things out there somewhere. They don't think or feel anything, Cyborg. A tiny part of them knows what they've become, but they have no control… Their souls have…"

Cyborg's expression softened, and Raven realized she was kneeling on the ground next to a puddle of her own sick. She was shaking. Cyborg's feet clicked against the concrete as he moved to Raven's side. Cool metal rested against Raven's back, moving in soothing circles.

"I trust you, Rae. It's just a shock. We don't kill criminals."

Raven nodded. She knew that. She joined the Titans because they showed her the very best of what a human being could do and be. Tears filmed over Raven's violet eyes, and the empath let them fall, reveling in the emotions she was feeling. It was such a relief to feel a fully formed emotion again. She never wanted to touch that abyss again.

"It's going to be alright, Rae," Cyborg said. The metal hero scooped Raven into his arms. She made a small noise in protest, and Cyborg shushed her. "You need to get back to the tower and rest. There's nothing we can do here."

"Wait," Raven said. Her voice cracked. "Take one of the spines." Cyborg grinned and rumpled Raven's hair. Her glare was undermined by the purple locks hanging over her face.

"Already got one," Cyborg smiled. It lacked warmth. "When we get back home you're going back to sleep. Then we can talk about this. I'll see if I can synthesize an antivenin." Raven nodded meekly. Cyborg did so much for the team and rarely asked for anything in return. He could make Raven feel so small sometimes, but the empath never felt safer than when the metallic Titan was watching her back.

"There are some books in my room," Raven said as Cyborg laid her in the back of the T-car. "Mythology." Then Raven closed her eyes. She fell asleep on the ride back to the tower, comforted by the thrum of the T-car under her. Her dreams were fragmented and unpleasant, and the empath awoke to a massive headache and the taste of stale vomit.

She was in her room. The curtains were drawn over the windows. Raven rose from bed slowly, staggering from the hammering in her head. She cast the curtains aside to reveal a sleeping city. A tiny sliver of the moon was reflecting in the bay, a strip of white in the depths of the sky.

City lights winked at Raven from across the bay, increasing her headache. The tower was silent, and Raven's cursory scan of the building revealed one sleeping larvae, Robin's tortured subconscious, two Titans deep in restless sleep, and a vacant presence in the living room. Raven turned her attention to her bookshelves, but even the fiction and mythology sections were gone. The naked shelves held out their arms in anticipation for the books' return.

ooooo

The living room was dark when Raven entered. The GameStation III sat untouched before the television, and the computer was shut down. Raven could feel Beast Boy in the room. Her eyes scanned the room.

"Beast Boy?" she said into the darkness. "Beast Boy, are you in here?"

"Yeah…"

Raven followed Beast Boy's voice to the kitchen. The former changeling was sitting against the refrigerator with his knees pulled to his chest. He was hugging his legs tightly. The boy wasn't emitting any emotions. It wasn't uncommon for people in shock or denial to intentionally numb themselves to their feelings, but Raven didn't like the shell Beast Boy was becoming.

"What are you still doing up?" Raven asked. She sat down on Beast Boy's left and tossed her cape over her legs to combat the air vent directly above the refrigerator. Beast Boy shrugged.

"Do you think we'll be able to fix Robin?" he asked at length.

"I hope so," Raven whispered. "I think I remember reading something in one of my mythology books. It might have the answer we're looking for. But I don't know if we have time."

Beast Boy chuckled, but there was no amusement in the sound. There was no emotion in the sound at all. "I never imagined Robin would die like this. I mean, Robin's the leader of the Teen Titans! He's supposed to get mortally wounded fighting Slade and die after saving the world one last time. Not because of some stupid accident. Not because of me." Beast Boy whispered the last sentence, and Raven didn't say anything. Those words were not meant for her ears; Raven doubted Beast Boy even meant to verbalize them.

The air conditioning cut off and plunged the room into silence. Raven crossed her left ankle over her right ankle and pondered her next words. "He isn't dead yet. We might have enough time. And if we don't, Robin, leader of the Teen Titans, died after heroically saving another's life. And Richard Grayson, our friend, died protecting the people he loved."

Beast Boy didn't speak, and Raven was afraid to break the silence. "How'd you know Robin's name?" he asked. Raven snorted.

"I still can't transform, Rae," Beast Boy said, shifting the conversation. "I've been trying. After we cure Robin, do you think it'll be possible to cure me?"

Raven sighed and uncrossed her ankles. "It's hard to say, Beast Boy. What that thing did to you could be temporary. After it left your body, I couldn't use my powers on you. I can now. With time, your DNA might naturally revert to its previous construction."

"I just feel so useless," the green boy groaned. The former changeling shifted to look Raven in the eyes. She saw a surprising amount of pain swirling in the jade orbs. She drew into herself instinctively. "I can't do sciency things like you and Cyborg. I can't fight like Robin. I'm not smart enough to do research. Without my powers I'm just... I'm just a green freak."

Raven felt the slap of Beast Boy's emotions even through her defenses. The boy was in so much pain. He became a hero to do the right thing, but he also became a hero to fit in. Raven knew that. There was nothing the energetic prankster feared more than being alone. That shade had robbed Beast Boy of his sense of purpose. Raven put her hand on Beast Boy's shoulder. He stiffened.

"Beast Boy, your powers aren't what define you. Your actions and your personality are what matter. I've never met anyone who cares as much about animals as you do, and nobody on this planet would ever think about spending so much time and energy trying to get people to laugh. No matter what happens, you know you're our friend. You're family."

The living room doors swept open to admit Cyborg. The cybernetic teen walked around the kitchen counter and rounded on the refrigerator. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked sleepily.

"We were having a moment," Raven said, standing in one fluid motion. "What are you doing awake?" Cyborg gestured to the display built into his arm. The power cell was at ninety-nine percent capacity.

"I looked at your mythology books, Rae, but I didn't get anything from them. You should take a look in the morning. The toxin has slowed down. We aren't out of the woods yet, but we might be able to dodge the bullet."

Raven felt relief surge through her. Most of it was hers, but there were trace amounts of Beast Boy's and Cyborg's emotions in the mix. The entire day had been taxing beyond belief, but it looked like they could maybe reintroduce a semblance of order to their lives. Maybe.

Miles above Jump City, within a stone's throw of the moon, was a patch of swirling red night. It was dark and quiet, barely noticeable, but the patch was growing slowly. Flame erupted on the other side of the window in the sky as a tendril of fire lapped at the tear in the dimensional fabric. The window widened just a little more.

* * *

**AN:** Take a few minutes to review. You know you want to...


	3. Chapter 3

Wow. This took a while longer than I anticipated. Sorry for the wait everyone. I'll make my opening notes short in apology. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Everything's fine today, that is our illusion." - Voltaire (1694-1778)

**Darkness Calls: Chapter 3**

The next three days were unbearable. Raven barely slept, sitting up late into the night with her magic and mythology books spread before her. The empath worked in the medical bay, always mindful of the beeps emitting from Robin's monitors. The Boy Wonder's skin was still an unhealthy yellow, but Cyborg insisted the hemotoxin was stalled for the moment. Cyborg kept coming in with new, improved injections to insure it stayed that way. Beast Boy and Starfire tried to help Raven with her research but stopped almost immediately.

The day after Raven and Cyborg ran into the spine-covered woman, Beast Boy had flipped through a magic book and put it in a pile of read material. Raven caught the book's title and berated the former changeling for discarding valuable information. She hadn't meant to be short with her friends, but none of the Titans had Raven's experience with this type of thing (and her experience was limited). Robin couldn't afford careless mistakes from well-intention people. Intention was meaningless in matters of life and death.

Raven made up the lost man-hours by cutting sleep from her schedule.

The chart of Robin's brainwaves continued to fluctuate horribly. The toxin had stopped destroying the boy's organs, but the pain he was in never reduced, nothing Cyborg did could change that. Raven thought about trying to take the edge off Robin's pain through their bond, but she rejected the idea almost immediately. She was ashamed to admit it, but she was afraid – afraid that something of what she'd felt in the spiked woman was laced in the toxin. Raven never wanted to experience that mire of chaos again.

Beast Boy moved out of the medical bay after Raven snapped at him. She hadn't seen him since. Cyborg barred Starfire from leaving the room for treatment purposes, but he allowed her to leave when Raven resorted to levitating her books in the air and causing the heavy texts to swoop through the air, switching places with each other.

Raven growled as she finished reading through Tales of the Nile: Mythology and Ancient Egypt. It was useless, another illuminating text that bore no importance to her current task. The book landed on top of a mountain of discarded texts. There was such a well of information, but none of it was pertinent.

Moonlight splashed across the porcelain floor. Raven closed her eyes. Her eyelids sealed shut, leaving the empath in darkness. The only thing that kept her rooted in the conscious world was the gentle hum of Robin's monitors. She had to keep working. For Robin. He'd allied with his worst enemy and journeyed into the very center of Hell for her. A few sleepless nights was nothing compared to that.

Raven opened her eyes with great effort and turned back to the books floating around the room. The sight of the open books was enough to get Raven to close her eyes again. The empath slipped her hand into the tiny pocket at her hip and drew out Beast Boy's lucky penny. The metal glinted in the moonlight, and Raven was positive in her sleep-deprived state that Abraham Lincoln winked at her.

"I can use all the luck I can get," Raven said, clenching the coin in her fist. Books switched around in the air and brought more mythological tales and magic scriptures under Raven's scrutiny.

_"The unenlightened peoples of this world fear nothing more than the shadow realm awaiting them when their souls break their mortal shackles."_

The large black book flew away to be replaced by a slim green one.

_"The Light of Freedonia went missing for many decades, and the King grew complacent and lazy."_

The green book sped away and a bland brown one took its place.

_"Many civilizations throughout our earth's history have told tales of the Gods above – their tempers, their personal agendas, and their power. These civilizations (many never coming into contact with each other) all gave various Gods credit for the natural occurrences of this world. A God of the Sea. A God of Love. A God of War. These parallels are too coincidental to be mere fabrication."_

Raven's eyes zipped through the pages before another book cycled in. The words began to blur. The empath paused when what she'd read registered in her mind. She cycled back through the books and grabbed A Scholarly Approach to Polytheism from the air. She found where she'd stopped reading and continued.

_"Careful research into the mythology of early civilizations reveals startling symmetry between these "Gods," their actions, and their abilities. For the purposes of this text, whether these Entities are truly "Gods" is of no import – what is of interest is that their existence has been theorized, entertained, and/or accepted on one level or another by many trains of thought._"

Raven's tongue snuck out of her mouth and licked her lips. Her mouth was suddenly very dry. The empath tore through the article, one of many in an anthology of scholarly articles, with unrestrained fervor. As she read, Raven kept throwing glances at Robin. He was still stable. What the article was saying made sense to Raven in a perverse way; though she was shocked to find that the psychological analysis, sociological analysis, and factual induction was beyond her – she barely followed the author through a complex maze of facts and intuitive leaps, but every conclusion made perfect sense once Raven caught up to it. Whoever Slade Wilson was – he was a two-time scholar on the subject according to the appendix, but little more information was supplied – he was a bona fide genius.

Beast Boy's lucky penny felt warm against Raven's skin. The empath opened her fist and rubbed her thumb over the pristine metal. She chuckled. Raven had never been superstitious before, but she was beginning to believe there might be something to this penny. The sorceress shook her head at the idiocy of the thought. There was nothing lucky about the grim profile of dead presidents.

She put the penny back in her pocket anyway.

Wilson's analysis swirled through Raven's head, knocking into old ideas and predispositions she'd operated under for years. Some of them clicked seamlessly into place or contorted to fit the new mold. Others crumbled and collapsed, worthless in the face of the truth. The empath nodded grimly. If this was correct then Robin had been poisoned by the twisted creation of an inter-dimensional puppeteer. Which one was a different and more difficult question.

Raven turned back to the article and scanned it again. Then she turned to the second article Wilson had published. In his analysis, the mysterious scholar disposed of the concept that there were Gods – Entities, he called them – of war, harvests, or wine. Instead the article went on to explain with shocking genius that too many Entities would burn out as they competed for resources; Wilson suggested that there were a select number of Entities with a broad field of influence and that they had control over what fell into their respective categories, but they maintained themselves by feeding on the essence they embodied.

Using that logic there were, according to Wilson – and Raven was beginning to trust the man's mind unquestionably – twelve Entities that competed with each other across dimensions, universes, worlds, and individual planets or civilizations to sustain themselves by exerting influence. That explained why one dimension, like Trigon's, could be nothing but a smoldering ruin of fire and death while others functioned without the concept of war or violence. To survive the Entities had to compete (perhaps even barter), and that produced a precarious balance.

Life and Death.

Air and Earth.

Water and Fire.

Love and Hate.

Knowledge and Ignorance.

Order and Chaos.

Raven stopped when she came upon the Entity of Chaos. The anarchy that existed within the monstrosities she'd fought sprung to her mind. The empath put A Scholarly Approach to Polytheism down and furrowed her brow. There was a thought tickling the back of her mind, but she was too tired to grasp it. The thought swam slowly into focus.

Trigon's takeover of Earth was supposed to destroy the entire dimension. Raven had lived burdened with that fact her entire life. But Trigon hadn't won, and that meant the dimension survived. Raven glanced back at the list of Entities. There were a few that stood out as not likely to approve of that turn of events. Chaos was obviously one of them.

"Now we know what we're dealing with," Raven said eventually, turning her attention to Robin. She gazed long and hard at the acrobatic wonder. His chest rose and fell erratically. She hoped she was in time.

Raven stared out the window and into the night. She tried to judge what time it was based off the moon's position, but she only narrowed it down from somewhere between midnight and four in the morning. Her eyelids drooped at every opportunity, waiting for her to drop her guard so they could ambush her and drag her into sleep. Her work wasn't finished yet. Knowing what they were up against was only one part of the puzzle. Now Raven needed to find a way to fight it. An emotion rushed up from the depths of her soul and lodged in her throat. Raven choked on the emotion, and a hybrid between a giggle and a sob popped from her mouth.

She'd beaten a demon; a God couldn't be much worse. Another hybrid tore from Raven's throat. They'd only beaten Trigon because of Robin – his faith, his strength, his hope. Robin couldn't help this time. The books around the room started to pulse with black energy, and Raven reigned in her emotions, holding them close and smothering them with sheer willpower. The volatile magic dispersed, and Raven drew a ragged breath.

The empath sat on the floor and crossed her legs. That had been too close: she couldn't risk her powers getting loose in the medical bay while Robin was like this. Raven started to chant her mantra, but she could not clear her mind. Thoughts of Robin haunted the sorceress as she sought her center – his laugh; the smell of his hair gel; the way he woke every morning to greet the sunrise; the way he poured over evidence and drew connections no one else could; the aura of command that surrounded him in battle, making him larger than life and seemingly invincible; the way he walked the tightrope between being her friend and her leader without a net to catch him.

Raven kept her eyes sealed, fighting against the well of tears that collected behind her closed lids. Pages started to flutter, and the empath knew without looking that her powers were consuming the room, threatening to demolish everything.

Robin was more than the leader of the Teen Titans. He was more than a friend. Robin was family, and Raven cursed her inability to help him. The Boy Wonder had welcomed her into the team, trusting her when no trust had been earned. He'd made her second-in-command. He'd believed in her when she could no longer believe in herself. He'd put his life in her hands. And she was failing him.

New resolve pulsed through Raven, and she opened her eyes, allowing dammed tears to flow. Her powers trickled back to her, quiescent for the moment. Wilson knew about these Entities (at least in theory) and that was as good a place as any to start. Raven grabbed the pen off Robin's medical chart and scribbled a note to Cyborg across the inside cover of A Scholarly Approach to Polytheism.

"_Cyborg, I need you, Beast Boy, and Starfire to find out everything you can about the Slade Wilson in this book. I'm going to get some answers. I'll be back by tomorrow night at the latest."_

Raven left the book open where Cyborg was sure to see it and exited the medical bay. The shadows in the halls felt ominous to Raven, and silence radiated from the dark corners. The gentle flutter of her cape was the only sound until she reached her room. Then things started flying off the shelves and banging into each other: a jar of enchanted sand, aided by Raven's powers, darted to the center of the room and dumped a light trail on the carpet, forming a perfect circle. Black candles erupted in flame at a command from the demoness and arrayed themselves around the perimeter. The blue clad girl strode to the center of the ring. She flew into the air and droned out an incantation.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Karazon Racashaus Endere. Vaserex Endrion Azarath! Azarath! Azarath!"

The boundaries of the teleportation spell pulsed with white energy before the magic rushed to the circle's origin, converging around Raven and consuming her in blinding light. Her body got lighter, and Raven could feel herself stretching out and thinning as she squeezed through the minute crack the spell had formed between dimensions.

The sorceress' journey ended much sooner than it should have. Raven opened her eyes and saw nothing but blinding white light. This wasn't Azarath. It was barely tolerable. The whiteness was maddening.

"Where were you heading?" a deep voice said from behind her. Raven wheeled around and saw a beefy man staring at her with mild curiosity. She tried to read his emotions, but her senses were blocked. Either that or this man had absolutely no emotions and no other defining essence.

He was a large man with a protruding stomach and deep brown eyes that glinted unnervingly. His hair was black and thinning. The man was leaning against a giant stone basin, and Raven could see colors reflecting out of it. The basin was showing nine reptilian creatures with pointed snouts and orange eyes under a purple sky. The creatures were collected together and staring with primal curiosity at a stone wheel one of them was rolling around, jabbering all the while in what sounded like two voices working in disjointed concert.

"Azarath. Who are you and what is this place?" Raven asked. Her voice echoed eerily around the white space. There was nothing visible that could throw back an echo.

"I am Seth, and this is the Observation Room," the man said with a slight bow. His voice did not echo, and the hairs on Raven's neck snapped to attention. "You're Gem Raven," he said with a tiny nod.

"What do you mean by that?" Raven demanded. She felt like her skin was trying to crawl off her skeleton. Seth inclined his head humbly.

"Raven. You are Raven of the Teen Titans."

"I know that, and it doesn't answer my question," Raven hissed. She narrowed her eyes dangerously, but Seth only smiled.

"You don't need an answer to that question – you know exactly what I meant. I apologize, however, for offending you," Seth said. Raven decided to let the matter drop and scanned the white expanse around her.

"What Entity are you?" Raven asked eventually, operating on a guess. Seth chuckled.

"Entity? You've read the works of Dr. Wilson then?" The beefy man clapped his hands enthusiastically and rubbed his palms together. "I must admit, his analysis is the closest I've seen to accurate of any scholars from any dimension. What did you think of his work?"

Raven arched an eyebrow at Seth. He sounded very complementary of Wilson, not that she blamed him, but it gave her a small clue about which Entity he might be.

"It was enlightening," she dead-panned. Seth frowned at the vague response. "I didn't come here to talk about theological theories."

"You didn't come here at all," Seth scoffed. "The teleportation spell you used was supposed to deliver you to Azarath, but you were intercepted. You can thank Morana for that. Ever since you banished Trigon from the eleventh dimension, she's kept it under lockdown. Nothing is supposed to be able to get in or out…" Seth lapsed into silence. "I wonder how you got here."

Raven brushed away the question in favor of more pressing matters. The Entity of Knowledge would have eternity to puzzle through her presence here, but it wasn't important right now. If Seth was the Entity of Knowledge, he would know how to help Robin. Raven licked her lips and tested Wilson's theory that Entities competed with each other for resources and subsequent life.

"You know a lot about the situation on Earth," she said, trying not to sound eager. "You must know about my friend, Robin."

Seth nodded. "Poisoned by an adaptive hemotoxin. Some of Morana's more impressive work. She doesn't usually plan things out quite that extensively, but…Trigon was a big part of her plan." Raven's pulse picked up. She barely dared to breathe her next question.

"Do you know how to cure him?"

"Of course!" Seth laughed. "I was waiting for you to ask. All you have to do is–"

What Raven had to do was never verbalized. With a tremendous bang, Seth was lifted off his feet and thrown into the basin behind him. The man's breath escaped in a rush. His bulky form was shrouded by radiant bronze light. Seth picked himself up slowly and leaned on the edge of the basin, wheezing.

"I should have seen that coming," he muttered. In response to Raven's bewildered stare, Seth shrugged. "Morana and my counter get along well. I've been blocked from giving you information about a cure." Seth brightened. "If she's busy keeping me quiet about the cure…"

He turned to the strange basin and waved his hands over the shimmering surface. Raven dared to inch closer. Blinding light was flying between Seth's fingertips and the basin's surface. Raven couldn't tell if the light originated at the basin or Seth. Minutes passed and the light died. The reptiles Raven noted earlier were taking turns rolling the stone wheel around.

"Is there a way you can tell me the cure without telling me the cure?" Raven pressed when Seth finished introducing the wheel to the primitive lizards. "You're counter can't be as smart as you." As soon as she said it, Raven realized her logic was flawed: the Entity of Ignorance and the Entity of Knowledge needed to be on equal footing in terms of power and intellect or one of them would have ceased to exist, burnt out and rendered obsolete.

Seth smiled fondly at Raven. "We exist through balance," he said at length. "To create a brand new poison, Morana would need to create a brand new cure. Your dimension is in lockdown, so she couldn't have removed it." Seth started glowing bronze again in warning.

"Are you saying the cure is on Earth somewhere?"

"All things exist in a universe without order in the places they're least likely to be found," Seth said, closing his eyes as he spoke in preparation for another remote blow from his counter. Nothing happened.

"Can you be more specific?" Raven pressed. Seth opened his mouth and was picked off his feet with another thunderous bang. He slammed into the floor and slid along the white horizon.

"I guess not," Raven muttered.

Seth stood and hobbled over to Raven. It was obvious he was in pain, but Raven could feel nothing from him. The beefy Entity stopped before Raven and shrugged helplessly. "You'll figure it out," Seth said. "I'm going to send you back to your own dimension now, Raven. Luck favors the prepared, and I know you'll have the best luck available to you."

Raven opened her mouth to ask one last question, but when the first word left her mouth, she was standing in the middle of her room. The question died on her lips. A pad of paper floated to Raven's side, and the empath jotted down Seth's cryptic key. Robin's life could be saved if she decoded it.

All things exist in a universe without order in the places they're least likely to be found.

Raven reached out with her senses and found her teammates clustered in the living room. A glance out the window showed Raven a skyline bathed in crimson light. Long shadows snaked along the water and through the alleys of Jump City as the sun retired. She smelled waffles. Raven pocketed the piece of paper and allowed the scent of waffles to draw her from her room and down the tidy hallways. The empath could feel her friends before she heard them, but only barely.

"BB! What were you thinking? Using soy milk to make waffles is inhumane," Cyborg shouted. The sound of the bickering boys was so alien in light of recent events that Raven almost didn't recognize it. They'd all been through so much, but here was an island of normalcy.

"No. Inhumane is pumping cows full of steroids and hooking them up to milk pumps. Using soy milk is totally moral and environmentally friendly!" Beast Boy shot back. "If you don't want any, that just means there're more for Starfire and me."

"I don't get any?" Raven asked as she entered the room. All noise died. Embarrassment sprung from all three of her friends, their large grins slipping from their faces. Guilt. Doubt. A tiny slice of fear.

"Rae, you're back," Cyborg called. He tried his best to sound cheerful and almost succeeded. "Maybe you can knock some sense into Beast Boy." The former changeling frowned at Cyborg. Raven was surprised to see Beast Boy back to his normal antics, but his emotions were forced and his facial expressions subdued. It was all an act; Beast Boy was trying to act like nothing was wrong in order to force the wish into reality.

"I'm on Beast Boy's side on this one," Raven said nonchalantly. "Now all of you need to lighten up. Just because I'm here doesn't mean you have to act like me." Starfire smiled lightly at the self-deprecating joke. The Tamaranian picked up a large book and clasped its spine in her hands. Other books were on the table along with the waffles and margarine.

"It feels inappropriate," Starfire started.

"It makes you feel bad that I've been working so hard and you haven't been able to help. It feels inappropriate to be laughing and having fun when there's so much work to do and when Robin's in the condition he's in," Raven finished. She shook her head. "We've all been through a lot. A little relaxation could go a long way. Just… include me."

"Seriously, Raven, we've been working on finding that Slade Wilson guy you wanted to talk to, but it's like the guy just vanished," Cyborg said. "I was going to start going through some files the US Marshals Service sent me."

Raven nodded. "It doesn't matter that much," she said. "Wilson only knows theory; I got information directly from the source." The others stopped what they were doing and leaned toward the demoness.

"The hemotoxin was created by the Entity of Chaos," she said. Even Beast Boy nodded. Apparently they'd read Wilson's articles before starting their search for him. "I talked to the Entity of Knowledge, and he tried to tell me what the cure was. He was prevented from telling me by the Entity of Ignorance, but he gave me this clue."

Raven pulled the paper she'd written Seth's hint on from her pocket. The empath spread the paper out on the table and stood back as Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy converged around it. Beast Boy groaned.

"Dude! Why can't it be a straight answer?" The green boy didn't say anything else, but Raven knew what he'd left unsaid. The memory of her conversation with the former changeling in front of the refrigerator was vivid. Beast Boy didn't think he was smart enough to be useful for this type of thing. Raven knew better. Beast Boy was smart, but the green boy didn't believe it, and that made the truth moot. If he couldn't believe in himself, his potential would never be realized.

Raven hadn't believed in herself, and Robin had been there to believe in her stead. Now it was Raven's turn to believe.

"How's Robin doing?" Raven asked.

"The toxin's slowed, but it's still progressing," Cyborg replied sadly. The metallic Titan picked up the piece of paper and read the cryptic hint aloud.

"We can worry about what it means tomorrow. Right now we need to eat soy waffles," Raven said. "We'll take it in pairs. Cyborg, you and Starfire should work together. Beast Boy, you'll be with me."

They weren't far into their waffle feast before Starfire drew Raven's attention. The Tamaranian didn't say anything, she didn't need to: her emotions spoke loudly enough, and eye contact cemented the communication. The two heroines excused themselves.

"Hey, where are you going?" Beast Boy asked. Starfire turned back to the seated boys and lied easily. Raven would never get used to seeing a girl as optimistic and good-hearted as Starfire lying.

"I believe my dressing is in need of replacement," Starfire said, gesturing at the medical gauze wrapped around her torso. There were splashes of red bleeding through the fabric.

Cyborg started to rise. "I'll be right behind you."

"I thank you, Cyborg, but Raven is fully capable of replacing my dressing; and I fear you are made uncomfortable by treating my injuries, given their locations," Starfire said. The Tamaranian lead Raven into the hallway. The door slid shut behind them.

Raven walked beside Starfire until they reached the peppy girl's room. The curtains were thrown open, and Silkie was curled up over the vent, purring throatily as the cold air washed over his larvae form. Starfire shucked her shirt and sat on her bed.

"What's on your mind, Starfire?" Raven asked as she picked up a roll of gauze. The redhead hummed thoughtfully as she started to undo the gauze wrapped around her torso.

"I am curious how you are doing," Starfire said at length. "I feel you have not been coping with recent events very well."

Raven snorted. "You haven't flown since you found out Robin might die. None of us have been coping very well. I'll manage."

"The form your management may take is what concerns me," Starfire whispered. "I worry for you, Raven. You are a sister to me, and I fear you will cope by walling yourself off from your pain. The pain is good: it means you still feel. It means you still care."

The gauze around Starfire fell to her waist, leaving her wounds exposed. Raven winced at the damaged tissue. Three entry wounds spotted Starfire's body: one a few millimeters below her left breast; one in her side, around her sixth rib; and the final one rested above her bellybutton. The tissue was inflamed and red, but Raven noted that they were healing nicely. They would scar, as would the incisions around the wound under her breast. It looked like that bullet had required surgery for removal.

Raven started a new wrap, but Starfire stopped her. The Tamaranian took hold of Raven's hands and led the empath's pale fingers to the wounds. Raven tried to take her hands away, but Starfire's grip tightened. The empath allowed herself to be guided from then on. Under Starfire's guidance, Raven's fingers trailed from one wound to the next. Bellybutton, ribcage, breast.

"Pain is never pleasant," Starfire said when Raven's hands were resting below the curve of her breast. "But it is required for growth. We learn from the things that harm us, and we grow stronger and wiser for them. Please, friend Raven, you no longer need to hide from your emotions."

Silkie growled. The sound freed Raven from Starfire's gaze, and the empath turned to dressing the alien's wounds.

"What about you?" Raven asked. Starfire cocked her head. "How are you doing with everything? Robin, Beast Boy, these," Raven nodded at the last of the wounds as it vanished under a layer of gauze. Starfire picked up her shirt and slid the purple top over her head.

"My body shall heal. I am concerned for Robin and Beast Boy. They are both in great danger. You know better than I what is happening with friend Beast Boy, but even I can sense he is not himself. That is why you wish to work with him on this clue, yes?"

Raven nodded. "Beast Boy needs to see there's more to him than bad jokes and changing into animals. I don't know if he'll get his powers back, I was sent back before I could ask, but if his DNA is permanently stable, he needs to know it isn't the end."

"You believe he could continue being a hero without his powers, fighting like Robin?" Starfire asked.

"No," Raven replied after a pause. "If Beast Boy's DNA is going to stay stable, his life as a hero will be over. He doesn't have the training Robin has, and it would take years before he'd be able to safely fight crime again. That's why he needs to know he has a good brain and a good heart. Nothing can take those away from him."

Starfire frowned at the floor. Her wound was dressed, but both girls were content to sit and talk.

"How does that make you feel?" Starfire asked. Raven blinked at the question.

"I haven't thought about it. There have been other things to deal with, and I guess I'm hoping Beast Boy will get his powers back."

Starfire shook her head emphatically. "Either you have not thought about it or you have thought about it a great deal and remain hopeful. You have not done both, Raven," the alien princess insisted.

"I've thought about it a lot," Raven snapped, annoyed by her friend's probing. "But I've focused on helping Robin. What do I want? I want them both back exactly as they were when you forced me to play that stupid game of Twister. But that can't happen. The team's never going to be the same again. I don't want to lose Beast Boy or Robin and make the change that much harder."

Raven felt moisture on her cheeks and raised her hand to the sensation. Her fingers came away wet, but she couldn't remember when she started crying. Starfire leaned into Raven and wrapped the empath in a warm embrace. Objects started rattling around the room, and Raven saw Starfire's vanity mirror, a few books, and other trinkets of alien origin flying through the room. She tried to reign in her emotions, but Starfire's voice stopped her.

"You have held this in for far too long." The Tamaranian's words were warm yet commanding, and Raven could hear the would-be Grand Ruler of Tamaran clearly in Starfire's voice. "These material possessions may all be replaced if damaged. I beg you, do not run from this."

Raven's resolve crumbled and her powers lashed out. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks and dripped into Starfire's lap. The empath registered distantly that her head had somehow ended up on Starfire's shoulder, but the analysis was lost amidst the emotional rapids in her mind.

Nothing exploded. That alone surprised Raven enough that her tears stopped. Every object in Starfire's room (even Silkie) was wrapped in frigid black magic. Starfire was encased in the obsidian aura. She smiled warmly, but Raven could sense a tiny undercurrent of nervousness leaking from her friend.

"You shouldn't have done that," Raven said. She drew her powers back into herself, placing the magical energy under lock and key. "You didn't know what could have happened. You could have been hurt, Starfire."

"But I was not, and you learned something valuable from the experience, yes?" Starfire said. The Tamaranian girl got off her bed. "I believe we should retire for the night. Cyborg and Beast Boy have already gone to sleep."

Raven wondered how Starfire knew that, but her own cursory scan of the tower revealed the redhead was correct. Raven walked to her room with her mind reeling: Starfire had taken a huge and stupid risk, but nothing bad had happened. Raven's powers were linked to her emotions; Trigon could influence her powers by amplifying her emotions, particularly rage. Now that Trigon was banished – Raven refused to believe that her father was dead, she knew better than that – he was weak. The demoness entered her room with a watery grin on her lips. She could feel freely now, except for very powerful or intense emotions; her own emotions would still be enough at times to be destructive.

Raven fell asleep as thoughts of unhindered emotions, Robin, Beast Boy, and Seth's cryptic clue chased each other through her mind.

ooooo

Light tapping penetrated Raven's dreams. The sound was repetitive and annoying, and the sleeping empath was slowly drawn from her sleep. Raven opened her eyes slowly and blinked in the midday light. Her curtains were thrown open, giving a splendid view of Jump City. The sun hung high overhead. She'd slept in.

Raven climbed out of bed and walked to her door. The barrier slid open to reveal Beast Boy in the middle of another series of quiet knocks. The former changeling's mouth was open in a slight gape and surprise poured off him. Raven realized too late that she was still in her pajamas. The baggy blue outfit was not something she let other people see her wear.

"Beast Boy," Raven said by way of greeting, inclining her head. A curtain of rebellious purple hair obscured her view.

"Um… hey, Raven. Cyborg said I should wake you up so we could work on that clue thingy," Beast Boy mumbled. The green boy shuffled his feet and stared at his shoes. The nervousness and anxiety bubbling in the fun-loving teen chilled Raven's heart.

"Come in. Don't touch anything," she added as a warning.

"Hey, you don't need to tell me that!" Beast Boy replied with a strangled chuckle.

Raven arched a skeptical eyebrow and shook her head. "I need to wake up a little. I'm going to take a shower. You should get started without me." A folded piece of paper floated across the room to Beast Boy. The empath grabbed a clean uniform from her closet and picked up Beast Boy's lucky penny as she passed her bedside table. The coin slipped easily into the waiting pocket.

Beast Boy frowned at the paper, and Raven could feel the former changeling berating himself. Strains of pain and humiliation peeled off him. They had their work cut out for them.

Raven finished her shower as quickly as she could, spurred on by the increasing magnitude of Beast Boy's self-doubt. It bordered on self-loathing. When the empath entered her room, Beast Boy was busily pacing back and forth, whispering under his breath, his brow furrowed. The clue was resting at the foot of Raven's bed, and the demoness joined her friend in silently contemplating the cryptic words.

All things exist in a universe without order in the places they're least likely to be found. Raven couldn't make heads or tails of that statement. She thought it meant the cure was somewhere obscure on Earth, but something wouldn't likely be found on a different planet either. Seth said Morana, the Entity of Chaos, couldn't take the cure from the dimension, but that still left entire star systems as possible hiding places. Beast Boy slumped against the wall. His jade eyes bore holes through the opposite wall.

"Where do you expect to find cures?" Beast Boy asked the room. Raven inclined her head and thought; they could use each other as sounding boards.

"Plants mostly, some artificial chemical compounds," she answered. Beast Boy rolled his neck back and forth as he thought. "So the cure isn't a plant or a drug?" Raven asked.

"Sounds right."

There was another intense silence as Raven and Beast Boy internalized that information. Raven tried to think of cure sources. Plants, science. She couldn't think of anything else.

"What do you do to get better when you're hurt or sick?" Beast Boy asked, chewing his bottom lip. The green boy answered his own question: "You drink a lot of fluids, sleep, and get lots of vitamins so your body can fix itself."

That train of thought threw Raven. It shouldn't have, but the empath had been focused on finding a secret box somewhere with a magical serum in it. Just because the Entity of Chaos had to create a new cure to go with the new poison didn't mean the cure had to be buried somewhere like long-lost pirate's gold.

"What are you thinking?" Beast Boy asked. The former changeling's voice broke Raven from her reverie.

"You made me think about something that hadn't occurred to me," she answered truthfully. Beast Boy scoffed.

"Thanks, Raven, but you don't need to lie in order to make me feel useful."

"I wouldn't," Raven droned. Shock stabbed through Beast Boy, and Raven cursed her natural inflection. She wasn't trying to be mean, but it sounded like she was. The empath rapidly tried to rectify her error.

"I was thinking about the cure as a serum hidden somewhere we wouldn't think to look. All things exist in a universe without order in the places they're least likely to be found. The last place we look for a cure is to the disease itself. What if by trying to cure Robin we've been making him worse?"

Beast Boy blinked. "You haven't gotten enough sleep. We won't cure Robin by taking him off Cy's treatments. We'll kill him. Think about what you're saying, Raven. It's crazy. That poison would have killed Robin a long time ago without Cyborg's treatments."

"I know," Raven sighed. "But what if–"

The tower's alarm went off. Beast Boy stiffened. Raven winced as the former changeling's fear slammed into her unsuspecting mind. She closed her eyes tightly as the world around her began to shift and churn.

"What's wrong?" she gasped through the shock.

"Cyborg connected Robin's medical machinery to the tower's alarm. And it smells different," was all Beast Boy said before he bolted from the room. Raven followed behind as quickly as she could.

The medical bay was a hodgepodge of whirring machines and spiking readouts. Robin's body was convulsing horribly in bed while Starfire bear hugged the acrobat to the mattress. Cyborg was busily readying an arsenal of injections. Beast Boy's eyes were glazed over as he watched his leader die. The former changeling had doubtlessly smelt the change in Robin.

"His entire system is shutting down! Raven, I don't think I have the right antidote to stop it!" Cyborg shouted as he tried to grab Robin's flailing arm to administer the shot. Raven slipped her hand into her pocket and ran one slender finger over Beast Boy's lucky penny. Azar, she hoped she was doing the right thing. The metal seemed to warm under her skin.

The empath reached out with her powers and seized every single one of Cyborg's carefully engineered serums. With one burst of mental energy, the glass around the drugs shattered, spilling what could have been Robin's last hope onto the porcelain floor. Cyborg stared at Raven in shock as Robin's machines cascaded into one final, unifying note. It was a long note with no variation.

"What have you done?"

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**AN:** I'd appreciate it if you took a moment to tell me what you think. Until next time.

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	4. Chapter 4

I really want to thank everyone who has reviewed "Darkness Calls." I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story, and you're feedback is infinitely appreciated. I'd like to apologize for taking the better part of two months to get this chapter to you, and what better way than making my opening comments brief?

Oh, a small note: this story is now rated M. Young people; you have been warned.

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"It is vain for the coward to flee; death follows close behind; it is only by defying it that the brave escape" -Voltaire (1694-1778)

**Darkness Calls: Chapter 4**

The steady drone of a flat line filled the room. Raven couldn't believe it. Her knees felt weak. The shocked empath fought the urge to collapse. Cyborg was gapping at her for the second time in just as many days. Bursts of anger, pain, betrayal, fear, and disbelief rushed from her friends. The emotions bombarded Raven. She closed her eyes to escape, and they followed her into the darkness. Starfire was still hugging Robin's body to the bed, and the Tamaranian appeared unable to remove herself.

"Raven," Cyborg gasped. "What have you done?" The metallic hero got no response. Raven could barely keep her head up, let alone command her mouth and throat to produce speech. The bed shifted, and Raven glanced in its direction, expecting to see Robin rising from his prolonged coma. That's what was supposed to happen. Not this.

Seth had told her she'd have good luck; he'd said she'd find out how to help Robin. The Boy Wonder was supposed to sit up, stretch, and fall into step with the rest of the world as if nothing had happened. Instead Raven saw Starfire poking the monitor with a slender forefinger. The Tamaranian turned off the screen and waited a few seconds. Then she turned it back on. The flat line was still there. Its monotonous drone still reverberated through the air.

"Oh, man," Cyborg murmured. It was too real, too painful. Raven wanted to turtle into herself and never come out again. After everything Robin did for her, she killed him. Anger spiked in the air, forcefully making all other emotions peripheral. Raven felt the emotion slam into her like a physical blow. Starfire turned fiery emerald eyes on the empath.

"Why did you do such a thing!" she shouted. "Cyborg was prepared to administer a potential cure and you destroyed it! Is this how you repay your friends, Raven? Is this what you meant when you spoke of not giving up?"

Raven shrunk away from the angry words. Starfire didn't relent, storming up to Raven and shouting in her face. The alien's hands started flickering with the righteous fury of her starbolts. A ball of shimmering energy flew from Starfire's fist and struck Raven in the stomach. The cloaked girl hit the wall with a thud and slid to the floor. She didn't have the heart to get up.

"You have done a terrible and unforgivable thing! You are the worst of all clorbag vorblernelks, and it is my wish that we had never met you." Starfire's voice dropped menacingly as she spoke, and the last words came out in a venomous hiss. Already her fists were alight with green radiation for a second blow.

"You don't mean that, Star," Beast Boy said. The former changeling spoke with such authority that the Tamaranian hesitated before her vehement denial. Beast Boy shook his head. The boy's brow was furrowed, and his nostrils kept flaring as he drew deep breaths. "Robin isn't dead."

The drone of the flat line begged to differ.

Beast Boy walked to Robin and lowered his nose to hover over the acrobat. Raven barely dared to breathe. The former changeling turned to the monitors and deactivated them, muttering about distracting noise.

"B, my sensors say Robin's heart has stopped," Cyborg said, consulting the display built into his right arm. Raven cringed from her position on the floor.

"Your sensors are wrong," Beast Boy snapped. "That's the only way this makes sense. In a universe without order…" the green boy trailed off, and Raven could distantly feel his frustration over not remembering the words.

"All things exist in the places they're least likely to be found," she supplied meekly, head still bowed. Beast Boy nodded.

"The sensors have been wrong from the beginning. The poison's chemical structure never changed, it just fooled your instruments to make it _look_ that way. Then you injected Robin with drugs that slowly killed him. The drugs were the problem." Beast Boy turned back to his friends. Starfire still loomed over Raven's crumpled form, and Cyborg was staring at Beast Boy like he'd gone mad.

The green boy growled and grabbed Starfire's wrist before pulling her away from Raven. He pushed Starfire's hand onto Robin's neck and manipulated her fingers so that they covered the acrobat's carotid artery. There was a pause before the Tamaranian gasped. Her feet slowly rose from the floor.

"Oh, this is most wonderful!" Starfire squealed. The alien pivoted in the air and darted to Raven's side, eager to apologize for her hasty and unwarranted reaction. "Robin is not dead. If what Beast Boy says is true then you have saved Robin." Before Raven could act to protect herself she was scooped off the ground and seized in an iron embrace.

Cyborg moved to the monitors and turned them back on. The same flat line dominated the display. He checked his arm to find the same result. But when the metallic Titan placed his fingers on Robin's neck his system simulated the sensation of a pulse under his hand.

"The antivenins were making him worse?" Cyborg whispered. The eldest Titan scratched his head. "This is so weird. Nothing's ever fooled my systems like that before."

"Dude, don't sound so disappointed. Robin's alive," Beast Boy said. Cyborg nodded.

"Your systems have never been tested by a G– an Entity before," Raven added. The empath's voice was flat and devoid of affect, and her face was covered by a mask of indifference. She'd been terrified, and she was ashamed of that fear. Glancing around the room, Raven caught Beast Boy's eye, and she knew the former changeling knew exactly how shaken she was. His heightened senses were a mixed blessing: without them, they would all think Robin was dead and Starfire would be beating her senseless; because of them, Raven was exposed. Animals could smell fear just as easily as Raven could sense it.

"I apologize most profusely, friend Raven. I should have not become so angry with you," Starfire said. The poor girl was feeling so much guilt. The emotion poured off her and saturated the air with its sickly presence. Raven could feel a headache coming on.

"It's okay, Starfire. I guessed," Raven droned. "I could have easily killed Robin. Your anger was a natural reaction."

Beast Boy interrupted the exchange. "You guessed? You guessed based off some idiotic thing _I_ said?" A mixture of pride, shock, and horror swirled around Beast Boy. Horror and shock were the predominant factors.

"You said it yourself, Beast Boy. You have a brain – you just don't use it much," Raven responded. "We didn't have enough time to be certain, and Cyborg didn't think he had the appropriate drugs to combat the hemotoxin. It was the only available course of action that could potentially yield a positive result."

All three Titans blinked and shared bewildered glances. Doing something so reckless sounded very unlike Raven, but the logic sounded like Raven's, and the pure objectivity could never be mistaken. The distantness could, however, be feared, and Raven felt the stab of her friend's emotions like hot steel.

Cyborg tapped the console built into his arm repetitively, frowning at the readout. His systems didn't usually run into bugs or limitations, and Raven could already tell that such a huge failure in his technological parts was getting to her friend.

"I need to meditate," Raven said, falling back on her age old excuse without thinking. The empath swept out of the room before her friends could stop her. Her legs shook with every step.

Raven collapsed once in the sanctuary of her room. Robin was alive, but he was alive because of a fifty-fifty guess. Her mind felt foggy and her emotions were in turmoil. Sleep would help fix both problems. She was having a hard time getting off the ground. Just as the sorceress decided to sleep on the floor, her door opened. Beast Boy stepped into the room.

"Star wanted me to make sure you were okay," the green boy said. "She really is sorry." He crouched down and slung Raven's arm over his back. The empath slowly got to her feet and allowed Beast Boy to lead her to her bed. The mattress never felt more inviting to Raven. She wanted to sink down into it and know nothing but the soft embrace of sleep.

"Do you want to talk?" Beast Boy asked after he'd lowered Raven onto the mattress. She leveled an apathetic stare on the boy. He nodded.

"Good," Beast Boy said before sitting at the foot of the bed. "Why did you do that if you weren't sure it would work?"

"It was the most efficient course of action at the time, given all available information," Raven whispered. She had no interest in the conversation, and the fact was clear in her inflection. Even by Raven's usual standards she sounded androgynous.

"Drop the act, Rae!" Beast Boy snapped. "I might not be able to feel what you feel, but you weren't detached and rational in there. What made you do that? Robin could be dead right now."

"But he isn't. He'll make a full recovery and it will be because of what you thought," Raven responded. She closed her eyes, hoping that Beast Boy would leave. She was disappointed.

"Or he could be dead because of me. I don't want that responsibility."

"You're in the wrong line of work." Raven felt Beast Boy stiffen at her casual reference to his former status as a superhero, but the worst part was the backlash of pain. Beast Boy didn't speak for a while. When he did, his voice was crisp and sharp as flint.

"Starfire wants you to get some rest." The door slammed shut behind the boy's retreating form, but his pain lingered in the room and swam lackadaisically through the air, a lingering testament to how furious the former changeling was. Raven stayed awake in bed, tossing and turning until the emotion diluted.

Raven was just beginning to settle into an uncomfortable sleep when a cascade of siren calls trilled through her room. Brilliant red light flashed from the walls, and the intrusive color was visible even from behind her closed eyelids. The demoness opened her eyes reluctantly, feeling more tired in that instant than she had in the past three days. She didn't want to do anything about the alarms; she wanted to stay in her room and let the world pass her by. But she was still the Teen Titan's leader, though fortunately not for much longer. She flipped her communicator open and sat up.

"Cyborg, what do we have?"

"You're not going to like it," the metallic Titan responded while simultaneously hammering away at the computer terminal in the living room. Raven waited.

"It's one of those fire demons from… earlier."

Raven's blood went cold. Those flame demons were Trigon's minions. There was absolutely no way they could be in this dimension after how badly Trigon had been beaten. The root of all evil wasn't dead, Raven knew that, but he should have been too weak to exert this kind of influence. Raven's drowsiness evaporated in a cloud of hissing rage, and for a moment fear and rage dueled in the demoness' mind for control. An apathetic mask fell over the empath's face, and her voice lost all semblance of emotion.

"We need to make this quick," she droned. The dark girl sunk into the floor and reemerged behind Cyborg in the living room. Beast Boy was in the room, but the green boy left upon Raven's entry. Starfire was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is it?" Raven snapped curtly. Cyborg told her. Before the words even left his mouth, Cyborg and Raven were cocooned in frigid black magic. The two heroes melted into the floor before black magic erupted through the carpet. The obsidian light twisted and morphed into a giant raven before shooting through the roof and sailing across the bay.

The magical bird swooped over the waves, each flap of its marvelous wings producing not a single sound or ripple. The bird's eyes were fixed on the horizon, its beak opened slightly in a yet to be articulated cry. Power hummed around the magical manifestation of Raven's soul as it flew into the city, passing through solid buildings and gaining speed.

The fire demon was easy enough to find; smoke rose behind the hellish incarnation in curling tails. Houses were burning on both sides of the street. Hungry flames lapped at gentle white fences and greedily consumed the flowers in window boxes. Thriving blossoms and daisies thrashed in the intense heat before shriveling into themselves, charred skeletons of ruined vegetation.

Civilians were running and screaming through the streets in search of their loved ones or an escape route. A little girl cried out for her Snowflake while her older brother kept her from rushing headlong into the flaming corpse of her former home. Somewhere, a dog yelped. Cars gunned to life and sped away while fire sirens got closer and closer.

The raven disappeared with a mighty screech, and Raven and Cyborg emerged on the scene. Smoke hung heavily in the air and the flames, unnaturally hot for this dimension, threw off waves of heat that caused Cyborg to stagger. Raven simply narrowed her eyes.

"We do this quickly," she said to Cyborg as she rose into the air. The cybernetic boy nodded.

"I'm right behind you, Rae."

The demon itself had paid no attention to the heroes' arrival. It was a hulking creature of molten rock with a strangely humanoid physiology, but there wasn't a single organ under its molten flesh – it was sustained by death and fear, evil and hatred. The demon threw one of its arms away from it, and the fiery appendage stretched like a rubber band to lick at another house before the arm drew back.

Raven focused her powers on a Sedan burning nearby. Before its arson, the car had real leather seats. Raven could smell it. The vehicle was surrounded by black magic before rising rapidly from the ground. With a tremendous burst of mental energy, Raven hurled the car at her target. The flaming car crashed into the demon and exploded. Molten shrapnel and flaming oil rained down onto the asphalt. The demon turned.

A jet of water rushed forward and hit the demon in what passed for its face. The liquid evaporated upon contact with the creature, but it was having some effect: the demon was screeching an unearthly cry that made Raven shiver. Cyborg kept blasting the demon with water, having temporarily converted his left and right arms into a hose. The cybernetic teen was plugged into a fire hydrant.

The tortured fire creature swung its arms out blindly. The molten columns of rock shot at Cyborg, and the eldest Titan diverted his aqueous attack to block the lava flying at him. The demon's arms hissed and sputtered when they hit the water. The creature withdrew its arms with a shriek.

Raven drew her arm back and prepared to throw a punch. Her hand was wrapped in ebony magic and talons slowly formed around the demoness' hand. Razor-sharp talons tipped each of Raven's fingernails before she thrust her arm forward. The talons flew forth, dragging a thick column of magic behind them as an avian claw sped through the air.

The obsidian arm smashed into the flame demon's chest and the talons sunk in deeply. The creature shrieked again and turned its deadly attention to Raven. The empath drew back her other hand and thrust forward a second taloned fist. This one sunk its serrated edges in what passed for the creature's eyes.

"Raven! Now!" Cyborg yelled.

The demoness yanked up forcefully and the demon was airborne. Raven released her hold and withdrew her powers. A concentrated burst of water slammed into the creature and propelled it further upward.

"Azarath! Metrion! Zinthos!"

Raven's eyes poured forth brilliant white light, and her body vanished, replaced by the avian form of her soul. The black raven flapped its wings and took flight with a shrill cry. The bird caught its prey and beat its wings as quickly as it could toward the ocean. Once Raven reached the bay she released her father's flaming minion and watched it drop into the salty water. There was a tremendous burst of superheated steam, but when the evaporated liquid dispersed there was no demon to be seen. Raven returned to Cyborg and both of them assisted the fire department in putting out the unnaturally hot flames.

Cyborg sighed heavily and sunk down to the sidewalk. There were carbon scars along its surface. The human portion of Cyborg's face was covered in sweat, and his entire body was covered in soot from when he ran into a flaming building to get a three-year-old the babysitter had abandoned in his panic. The little girl was currently on her way to the nearest hospital. The babysitter had called the girl's parents.

Raven sat down next to her friend and quietly contemplated the ruined block around her. These had been nice houses once upon a time; now they were just withered constructs. They had once been magnificent homes and shelters; now all they sheltered were the carcasses of the American Dream.

The empath stood abruptly. "I'm going to make sure this doesn't happen again. Get back to the tower and make sure the others are alright," Raven said before she flew into the air.

Trigon couldn't be strong enough to tear through the dimensional fabric so soon after his defeat. That demon had caused a lot of damage, but it was one of Trigon's runts. There had to be a residual window somewhere, a tear that she hadn't completely mended when banishing Trigon from her home. Raven flew back and forth across the city in a grid pattern, searching for the telltale flames of her father's realm.

ooooo

Temple had been tempted to ignore her orderly urges after her conversation with Seth, but the petite woman found herself standing before the Basin again with her book of equations and her golden amicus. What Seth was doing was predictably Seth, and it was so convoluted that the disastrous web of events barely resembled the product of an intelligent mind.

There was an aggravated shout as Morana popped into existence in the Observation Room. Temple didn't look up from her calculations. The Asian woman was fuming, and she stopped to glare at the white expanse around her before beginning to vent her frustration in a tirade of angry shouts. Temple listened with half an ear.

"I can't believe that back-stabbing bastard! He helped that demon girl save the boy."

"You trusted him to let the boy die?" Temple asked while jotting down a quick line of math. She had been working on this new set of equations for some time, but the petite woman felt confident that she was making progress.

"Why wouldn't he?" Morana spat. "Seth doesn't need death, but we've worked together before. He's never actively tried to hamper me."

Temple hummed thoughtfully.

"He was trying to establish a pattern," she said. "Misinformation is a powerful tool for Seth."

The Basin swirled with color and stopped on an image of Jump City. A blue clad girl could be seen flying over the city below, crisscrossing the sky in an infallible grid. Temple frowned and focused her attention on a particular portion of the sky. It was directly above some yellow construction equipment, glinting in the sun. The area around the construction equipment was decimated beyond belief, fractured and powdered until nothing but rubble remained. There was a window in the sky, and it was getting gradually larger.

"Did Seth mention that he made a window?"

Morana didn't answer.

Temple sighed and rubbed her hands together. Tan sand started to spill down to the Basin's surface, entering the colored liquid without the tinniest ripple. The Entity of Order almost never exercised her powers, but she'd been working the math long enough to be confident in her actions. Morana blinked once Temple had finished.

"Seth said you put the dimension on lock-down…"

"Not a bad idea," the short mathematician giggled before throwing another handful of sand into the Basin. With that Temple grabbed her book and amicus and vanished – one second she was there; the next Morana was left alone in the Observation Room, fuming at a dimension that refused her every attempt at manipulation or entry. Seth had played her.

ooooo

Raven found the dimensional tear after hours of searching. It was nothing spectacular to look at, just a square swath of sky that pulsed a burning red that bounced off a nearby collection of friendly looking clouds. Raven could feel the heat as she approached. The tortured screams of the damned drifted from the window like a long forgotten sound beyond the edge of memory, but the pain was fresh. It always was.

The demoness hovered in the air before the threshold to her father's realm. It was four feet on all sides, barely enough for anything to slip through, but Raven knew the window would grow in time. But something was bothering Raven; she'd banished Trigon from this dimension, and she had been both firm and thorough as she slammed the door in Trigon's face. This window wasn't supposed to exist.

Black energy encased the heroine's hands and she reached out for the window. The second her powers brushed against the dimensional tear, Raven felt an overwhelming nausea wash over her. Her senses temporarily abandoned her in favor of a gale of chaos and pain. Raven withdrew quickly, venting a startled hiss as she was assaulted by the now familiar signature of Chaos' influence.

When Raven regained control of her powers and emotions she was falling from the sky. The sorceress righted herself and flew back to the burning patch of sky. Raven summoned her powers and wrapped the frigid magic around the dimensional tear, this time prepared for the onslaught of chaos. It would be a simple matter to force the fabric closed, she'd done it once before. Raven began to push, pouring her essence into the task.

Despite her best efforts, Raven couldn't see a measurable change in the window's size. It seemed to be fighting actively against her. And the opposing force was only getting stronger. Raven released the window and drew a desperate breath. She felt drained from the exertion. The window winked at Raven and a stray tendril of flame licked at its perimeter. Raven's heart jarred in her chest.

She didn't try to close the window again, that had been ineffective. Raven doubted it was even possible to close the thing. Seth's clue floated unbidden into Raven's mind, and the empath was seized by sudden inspiration. There was no reason to believe that the same logic that cured Robin couldn't close this dimensional tear. The last place she would look to cure a disease would be to the disease itself; the last way she would try to close a window would be opening it.

Raven smirked at the window and reached out again with her magic. The empath grabbed the edges of the window and tore them viciously apart, trying to widen the gap as quickly as possible. There was a brief moment of resistance and then, like a rubber band snapping, the seams of the window flew apart. Less than a millisecond passed before the widened window collapsed on itself, closing with a loud bang. Raven almost laughed.

The smile died on her lips when the air around the recently sealed window bubbled. The air was boiling, and Raven's eyes widened as the sky darkened. At first it was nothing but a splotch of crimson sky, but the color spread rapidly, bleeding into the troposphere and spreading like a plaque. The clouds vanished in a puff of superheated liquid. Raven didn't have enough time to think about what had happened or why. She turned and fled.

The towering skyscrapers of Jump City hissed in the heat; glass from large office buildings fell to the street in molten rain. Steel groaned and sagged. Raven put on an extra burst of speed and dove to the ground.

The empath reached out with her powers and seized civilians with her mind. Many of them were unaware of the danger rushing toward them, and they released startled yelps and angry shouts at the demoness. Those quickly turned to shrieks of true terror as flame and heat invaded the world. Raven couldn't carry everyone, and in her rush to get away she missed a few sad souls.

Raven risked a glimpse behind her and watched as the people she'd missed fell to the ground grabbing their heads and screaming. She knew unequivocally that they were undergoing the same process that had destroyed the three prisoners she'd encountered. Raven flew faster.

"Raven calling all Titans!" she shouted into her communicator. She grabbed an abandoned stroller and hoisted it into the air beside her. The infant inside did not appreciate the freezing touch of her magical energies.

"Raven calling all Titans!" she repeated when no one answered. "Do not get caught by the spreading… phenomena." She really had no clue what to call the massive curtain of red that was descending on the world. It looked like Trigon's work, but there was a fundamental difference. This encroaching crimson world wasn't born of evil. It was born of madness.

"I repeat: do not let it touch you. Cyborg, it's the same thing that robbed those prisoners of their minds and destroyed their souls. Raven calling all Titans! Do not get caught. Save everybody you can, but be careful. Anyone who's been exposed to it will be dangerous."

In her haste to end the transmission, Raven slammed her communicator onto her belt. The clip didn't catch, and the frantic empath didn't notice when the small yellow and black device fell to the ground below, shattering in a brilliant display of plastic and metal.

The red light splashed across the sky in brilliant strokes as if led by a painter's steady hand. The crimson flood covered everything it came in contact with, seeping into buildings and plants and people. Raven put on an extra burst of speed and continued to grab fleeing civilians with her powers. The sorceress was tiring, and her strained psyche cried out against the effort of flying and towing scores of people behind her.

A spike of sheer terror pierced through the disorganized mass of fear swirling through the city. Raven felt the stab of the creeping light and gasped: one of the people held in her powers had gotten caught by the chaotic intrusion. Raven felt the man's mind being ravaged; she felt his fear slowly melt into an indistinguishable blur of barely human emotion; and then the man Raven was carrying was gone, erased like an unwanted smudge. The shock was so great that Raven's concentration faltered, and the destroyed man was freed from Raven's ebony magic. He fell to the ground where his tortured existence was quickly ended in a splattering of fluids and splintering bones.

Raven didn't know where to go. The red light was spreading rapidly in all directions, and it seemed to be accelerating as it spread. The empath was beginning to doubt that it was possible to escape.

A black shape flew past Raven, and the startled demoness recognized the shade that had possessed Beast Boy. The shade ignored Raven and her cargo, zipping ahead, obviously just as desperate to get away from the encroaching red as everyone else was. Raven cast a quick glance toward Titan's Tower in a desperate attempt to summon her friends to her, unharmed for the moment, but the tower was already swarmed in red and beginning to show signs of deterioration as the mighty T structure drooped into the bay like a plant starved for light. Raven gulped.

There was a cacophony of sound in the city. Cries of the damned and the terrified melted together into one amorphous mass. Molten glass spilled to the ground; cars backfired; buildings groaned and collapsed; and there was an ever-present wailing. It sounded like a gale blowing through a forest, but there was barely a breath of wind.

Raven continued to snatch up what civilians she could, but the demoness was already overburdened. She was forced to make the unenviable choice of saving a few people and herself or being caught by the interdimensional invader. The empath's heart wrenched as betrayal lashed against her senses and a small child called her name. The betrayal lost its form soon after as the girl was claimed by madness.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven chanted, turning over to fly with her back parallel to the ground as she launched a magical blast at the parasitic light. The obsidian magic was easily absorbed by the red flood. Raven growled and put on an extra burst of speed. Before she turned back to her flying, the empath caught the expressions of the people seized in her freezing magic. It was like looking at corpses who had yet to expire, and the sight made Raven feel sick.

Raven turned back to her flight and saw a figure sprinting along the rooftops of buildings. For one blessed moment, the dark girl thought Robin had returned and was ready to lead the Teen Titans through yet another conflict with the impossible. The figure was tall and male, and he possessed a speed and grace Raven had only seen in a few humans. Red light reflected off the man's face, and Raven saw a visage of copper and ebony – Slade. The super villain was far too busy avoiding the deluge of chaos to pose a problem. He probably hadn't even seen Raven.

At that moment Slade turned his head, and Raven knew the man knew she was there. He kept running, leaping nimbly from rooftop to rooftop and leaving Raven to her own devices. The sorceress sped up when another one of her passengers was seized in crimson madness. Slade leapt from his rooftop and snagged the end of Raven's cloak. The demoness dropped a few feet before righting herself and flying onward. She didn't like Slade, but she wasn't going to leave him to the torturous existence promised by the pursuing light – not unless an innocent person was threatened because Slade's extra weight slowed her down. Either way, Raven didn't like thinking about it.

There was an explosion of light behind Raven, and the demoness felt Slade shift so he was facing the blast. For a brief moment the red light was laced with a rich sandy color. The sand started to fall from the sky, peppering the earth like snow. The first grains that hit Raven vanished instantly, effervescing briefly before sinking into the demoness' skin.

"About time," Slade chuckled. Raven didn't have enough time to think about what the criminal mastermind was talking about before his weight vanished. Raven twisted and watched as Slade plummeted from the sky, catching a flagpole on his way down and using it to slow his descent. The masked villain landed gracefully on the street and braced himself as red light washed over his body.

Raven kept flying, but a small part of the heroine couldn't help but wonder what Slade knew that she didn't. She began to slow, and more and more people were stolen from her grasp by her pursuer. Raven cried out as a tendril of madness grazed her leg. She faltered. Long days without sleep and prolonged exposure to strong emotions took their toll on Raven, and the sorceress fell from the sky. In the few moments left to her, Raven drew the remaining civilians in her care close and summoned an obsidian bubble that encased the small group. They hit the ground hard and slid for a few meters before redness washed over them.

If Raven had been more aware she would have noticed that everybody was sparkling with tan light as the red madness pounded against them. The demoness felt small and cold. Barely distinguishable images and voices swirled around her, and the dark girl shrunk away from the barrage. Her skin felt too small for her body, and there was an internal, sickly heat that pulsed from her core and contrasted sharply with the frost threatening her extremities.

"I don't want to be alone."

"Feeling a little emotion, only every now and then, wouldn't be so bad. Would it?"

"How is it possible for Starfire to be so optimistic after everything she's been put through?"

"We all have a destiny."

"Cyborg is too hard on himself."

"What if I don't want to destroy the world?"

"Robin should let Starfire help him with his Slade research. It upsets her when I'm included and she isn't."

"There are some things that were never in my control to begin with."

"Beast Boy will never forgive himself."

"Robin could have died because of me."

"I killed a human being."

Every thought Raven ever had echoed in her head. They bounced off one another and vied for space in the confines of Raven's skull. The empath squeezed her eyes shut. She might have screamed. Emotions also bounced around, slamming into each other with such force that they shattered into tiny particles of disturbed dust. The empath rarely felt strong emotions, but she knew anyone who freely expressed emotions would be dealing with every emotion and every thought that ever occupied his or her mind simultaneously. For the first and only time, Raven was grateful for her numbness.

Raven was never aware of it, but her hand ventured into the pocket at her hip. Beast Boy's penny was clutched firmly in her hand and her nails were cutting into her palms.

"Make it stop," Raven whimpered. There was so much sensory input. It was overwhelming. The empath could imagine her mind creaking and bending under the pressure. "Azar, please, make it stop… let it end."

It didn't stop. Raven stayed curled up on the ground, her hands over her head and Beast Boy's penny in her clenched fist. Her throat grew raspy and sore, and the empath realized she'd been screaming. Probably very loudly. Unconsciousness was a blessing, and Raven fell gratefully into it, confident that she'd just experienced her last sane moments alive.

ooooo

Seth watched the scene unfold from the Observation Room. The rotund Entity couldn't control his mirth when Raven ripped open the dimensional tear and allowed his booby-trap to spill into the world. He laughed until tears sprung from his eyes when Raven chose to save herself and indiscriminately abandoned men, women, and children to the swarming madness. Seth's laughter died instantly when Slade Wilson willingly dropped from the sky and allowed the red light to wash over his frame.

Seth frowned and focused on his center, calling upon an ancient meditation technique dead to all but the immortal to break down his essence and examine its source and inputs. He wasn't gaining as much power from this as he should have.

"What's going on here?" the chaotic Entity growled, turning suddenly angry eyes on the Basin, as if the ornately carved stone could answer him.

"I followed your advice." Temple popped into existence in the Observation Room. Seth rounded on the petite woman with a snarl.

"What advice might that be?"

"Don't think about things, that's what you said. Don't think – just do. I decided I'd rather keep this dimension around for a little while."

Seth broke off his meditation and glared at the Basin. He could see his victims writhing in crimson madness, but their bodies were shimmering a distinctive tan color the Entity of Chaos had long ago learned to detest. The tan light was focused around the humans' heads, keeping his influence at bay.

"You love chaos, Seth. Chance. Well, some of them will go mad. Some of them will resist your power and be perfectly fine when they wake up. Isn't it exciting?" Temple giggled. She had already calculated who would likely retain their senses and their most likely course of action. Seth had no knowledge of that, however, and the obese man lunged at Temple. The woman vanished without a trace, leaving behind a mocking giggle that reverberated through the air long after Seth had finished cursing his counter.

In a few hours, Raven would awaken from her brush with madness. Then order could slowly be restored to the eleventh dimension. Temple's book of calculations held all the predictable answers. But those predictions were only as good as Temple's hurried calculations.

* * *

**AN:** Please take a moment to tell me what you think, and I hope to see you again next time.


	5. Chapter 5

What do you know? This update didn't take half a lifetime! I want to again thank all my readers and reviewers for their support. I'm thrilled that you're enjoying this story, and I hope you stick around for the finale despite the occasional lag. ;-) Now, on to what you actually came here to read.

* * *

"Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose." –Tom Krause (1934-TBA)

**Darkness Calls: Chapter 5**

Raven drew a deep and shuddering breath. Her entire body pulsed with pain. The empath did the only thing she could think of: she opened her mouth and screamed as loudly as she could. The sound tore from her throat and rocketed into the air. She tasted blood and screamed again, this time in anger as a tiny sliver of her being drew pleasure from the precise blend of iron and salt.

Her skin flashed from scalding to freezing in instants. The sensation was unbearable; Raven felt like she was perpetually dying, and the feeling was chipping away her sanity. The demoness opened her eyes and discovered that she was curled up on cracked asphalt. A round-faced woman was staring straight at her with empty gray eyes. The woman was dead; her neck bent unnaturally; her mouth slightly open. Bile rose in Raven's throat, but the sorceress forced it down.

The pain faded gradually, and eventually Raven could feel the warm asphalt on her skin instead of the phantom temperatures that had tormented her. She uncurled herself and looked around. Jump City was ruined. Angry crimson clouds circled in the sky, vultures drawn to the carrion the city had become. Titan's Tower sat in the middle of the bay, its distinct T shape warped into a drooping I. The bay frothed with gray foam. The water had withdrawn, revealing the rock usually submerged in sparkling liquid. Noise cascaded through the ruined skeleton of Jump City – screams, cries, and the ever present wail of an immaterial wind. Raven shuddered and reigned in her powers. There was a thickness to the air that made it difficult to breathe.

Chaos reigned supreme.

Bodies peppered the street. Men, women, and children lay slumped on the ground, their necks broken and their blood pooled under them. A lone boy was writhing on the ground, tossing and turning on the asphalt, his mouth open to scream with a voice that had long since abandoned him. Raven got unsteadily to her feet.

The empath's hand drifted to her belt and into her pocket. Nothing was there. Panic seized her throat, threatening to strangle her. She probed deeper in her pocket, willing Beast Boy's lucky penny into existence. Rubble started to shift under the influence of Raven's runaway emotions, but then the sorceress' logical mind reasserted itself and she checked her clenched fist. Raven stared at her palm. Abraham Lincoln stared back at her.

She rubbed her thumb over the metal, wiping away traces of her own blood before slipping the coin back into her pocket. Raven reached for her communicator but came away empty handed. The demoness cast her gaze around her, hoping to see the electronic device on the ground. She was disappointed. Raven glared at the madness around her. Without her communicator she didn't have a way to find the other Titans – she couldn't even be positive that they made it.

Raven wrapped her cloak around her. She tried to think, but her mind refused to cooperate.

She needed to find her friends.

She needed to figure out what happened.

She needed to fix it.

Stone clattered behind her, and Raven pivoted sharply. A small group of people was emerging from the ruins around her. They swarmed from the wreckage like ants. Raven narrowed her eyes and gently stroked the consciousnesses of the new arrivals. The empath withdrew with a sharp hiss: these people were gone. Raven counted eight in all.

Men and women of all ages moved forward mechanically, their eyes glazed and their skin marred by grime and blood. They moved silently and in perfect concert. Raven called upon her powers and rose into the air. Chaos battered her, the slight use of her powers more than enough to leave the sorceress exposed to the madness that had enveloped the city, and she gasped from the shock, falling back to the road and landing on her feet. Raven prepared to fight.

The boy who had been writhing about when Raven gained consciousness finally lost his internal battle. He stopped struggling. Eight sets of glazed eyes rounded on the child. The largest man of the group approached the boy and sniffed. The entire group pounced on the poor boy before he could protect himself, and his torturous existence was extinguished as he was torn limb from limb by the frenzied mob. Raven saw her chance to escape and took it, picking a direction at random and running for all she was worth.

Her feet pounded against the asphalt as Raven sprinted through the gutted streets of Jump City. She was forced to cut through alleyways or double back on occasion when she saw one of the packs scouring the streets. Indeed, the people who had succumbed to Chaos' influence had taken to clustering in packs, stalking through the streets like mad dogs. Whenever two different packs met, they fought. Evidence of the conflicts lay strewn across the city.

Raven had yet to see anyone who hadn't lost his or her mind.

She stopped running when she could run no further. Raven's lungs burned in her chest and muscle cramps stabbed at her body. Her breath came in ragged gasps. Her senses were drowned by the powerful thudding in her ears that signaled each additional heartbeat. Raven stumbled into the nearest building and collapsed against the wall.

She was in a water treatment plant – at least that had been its function at one point in time. Now pipes crisscrossed through the rafters, springing leaks and dripping impotable water into puddles on the ground. The sound echoed and joined the empath's desperate gasps in an eerie duet.

Raven closed her eyes and tried to center herself. It was an effort doomed to failure. There was too much residual madness swirling thorough the air; the second Raven tried to calm herself, the empath was bombarded by it. Something clammy pressed against Raven's neck, and the empath opened her eyes. There was a beefy man with a grime-coated face pressing a rusted pipe against her throat. One thrust of his mighty forearm would be enough to drown Raven in a stream of her own life's blood.

The man's eyes were devoid of emotion, something had already broken that aspect of him, but the glossy sheen that had consumed the eyes of so many was absent in his eyes. They glared dispassionately at Raven.

"Wait!" Raven jerked her head toward the source of the voice, and the pipe cut a shallow line along her pale throat. She knew that voice. She… missed it.

"Beast Boy? Where are you?"

The man followed Raven's movements, making sure that the rusted edge of the pipe was always resting against her jugular. He glanced into the rafters.

"She's one of us, Jeff," Beast Boy said, dropping to the ground five feet away. Raven never noticed his approach. "Leave her alone."

"She doesn't feel right to me," Jeff growled. Jeff's voice suited him: it sounded like the man had rubbed his throat raw on meals of nails and stone. There was a sharp and grating quality to it that made Raven cringe.

"She smells fine to me," Beast Boy insisted. "Besides, I know Rae personally from before this happened. You'd know her too, if you remembered." Jeff growled at the former changeling before lowering the pipe. Beast Boy threw himself at Raven, wrapping the shaken empath in his embrace. Jeff withdrew into the belly of the treatment plant.

"Raven, it's so good to see you! Oh, God, I was so worried! When you didn't answer your communicator, I thought…" Beast Boy shook his head and started dragging the girl away from the doors. She didn't miss the stray tear the green boy wiped from the corner of his eyes.

"We thought we'd lost you." Beast Boy tried to chuckle, but he couldn't hide the quiver in his voice.

"We?" Raven asked. "I thought I was the only person who made it."

Beast Boy shook his head and started pulling Raven down into the plant's basement. Water lay an inch thick at the bottom of the stairs. It was a garish slate and smelled vaguely of sulfur.

"Cyborg and Robin are okay. We've met a few civilians who made it too. Why didn't you answer your communicator?" Raven sunk down to sit in the sickly water. Her legs weren't up to the challenge of supporting her just yet.

"I lost my communicator before this happened," she mumbled. "What happened to Starfire?"

"We haven't seen or heard from her. We thought you and Star…" Beast Boy's words drifted away. "You must have been so scared. I'm so sorry we thought you hadn't made it. I should have been looking for you; instead, you've been out with those mobs for days."

"Days?"

Beast Boy blinked.

"You didn't just wake up, did you, Rae?" he asked. Raven nodded. The former changeling sunk down to sit next to the sorceress. "You were fighting Chaos off for that long? That must have been horrible."

"I don't really remember it," Raven lied. She quickly changed the subject. "There were a bunch of bodies around me when I woke up. They hadn't been killed by the packs, this was assassin style. Broken necks."

"Someone's been going around and killing the smaller packs. We don't know who, but they're brutal. Both Cy and Robin agree it's a sane person," Beast Boy sighed. "Probably someone who remembers everything too, 'cause systematic assassination and amnesia don't usually go together…"

Raven arched an eyebrow at Beast Boy. The former changeling sighed. "Some people – like Jeff – don't remember what happened before this. I guess you remember, but a few people lost memories when they were fighting Chaos. I think I lost a few things."

"Cyborg forgot a lot, but Robin was with him and all Cy's memories were backed up anyway. Robin doesn't remember getting poisoned, we don't know if that's from fighting Chaos or because of the poison, but he keeps trying to do more than his body can handle right now. Cyborg and he are looking for more survivors right now."

Raven closed her eyes and shuddered. Nobody knew where Starfire was. The Tamaranian was strong: she came from a race of warriors. The alien princess was probably taking shelter somewhere and collecting survivors of her own while longing for a word from her friends. After all, Raven had lost her communicator; Starfire could have done the same thing.

"What are you thinking, Raven?" Beast Boy asked. He chuckled when the empath blinked in surprise. "I guess I've learned to tell when you're in your head."

"Starfire," was all Raven said, and Beast Boy sobered instantly.

"She's probably fine, right?" he said. "I mean, you just woke up and even if you'd been up for days, you didn't have your communicator."

"The longer it takes for people to wake up, the less likely it is that they will," Raven droned. The demoness could still feel the strain of fighting off Chaos' grab for her mind. If she hadn't been specifically trained by the monks of Azarath for psychological confrontation, Raven knew she'd be prowling the streets with the packs. The girl glanced around and noticed the other people for the first time.

A collection of survivors sat huddled in the shadows, watching Raven and Beast Boy with a mixture of fear and awe. One boy around Raven's age caught her glance and waved. His face was young and friendly. Raven felt like she should recognize it, but she came up blank.

Raven got to her feet and approached the group in the corner. "Is anyone hurt?" she asked, trying to smile comfortingly. Beast Boy hurried to Raven's side and nodded at the crowd, letting them know she wasn't a threat.

"It's nothing serious," a voice muttered. Raven turned toward the source and saw Jeff hovering over a petite woman. Her eyes were closed, her fiery hair disheveled and spread in disorganized ringlets around her face. Her right leg was elevated above the water by a primitive sling. Raven could tell at a glance that is was broken. The empath stepped forward. Everyone but Jeff moved out of her way.

"Let me help her," Raven said. Jeff growled deep in his throat and eyed Raven apprehensively. He stepped aside reluctantly.

"If Beast Boy says you're alright, I'll believe him."

Raven shot Beast Boy a quick look. The former changeling chuckled meekly, rubbing the base of his neck. He really was a gifted leader – now he just needed to recognize it. Raven's hands lit up with gentle blue light as she placed her palms on the woman's leg. It was a clean break, and Raven started to patch it up. She gasped once the leg was healed: Raven had felt the woman's pain as she mended the broken bone and the brief use of her powers had left the sorceress exposed to the chaotic haze that lingered, intangible, in the air. Beast Boy's squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

"You okay?"

"I'll be fine," Raven nodded. "She should be able to walk once she wakes up. When are Robin and Cyborg coming back?"

Beast Boy smacked himself on the forehead. "I haven't told them you're okay yet! Hold on." The green boy fished his communicator from his belt and flipped the device open. Static blared on the screen for an instant.

"Cyborg, Raven's okay!"

"I know man," Cyborg responded without really looking at the console in his arm. "I just got a lock on her communicator. Robin and I are on our way to her right now. Since when did you learn how to use your communicator for frequency sweeps?"

"Dude! You can use these things for frequency sweeps? Do you know how many times I've wanted to find one of you guys and haven't been able to do it?" Raven reached over and grabbed the communicator from Beast Boy's grasp.

"That might be my communicator you're locked onto, Cyborg, but it isn't me. I lost my communicator after my last transmission. I'm with Beast Boy back at the plant."

"Raven?" Cyborg's face came into view as the metallic Titan finally looked at his caller. Angry crimson clouds swirled in the air above the African-American hero. "It's great to see you. We were worried, girl."

The demoness nodded curtly. "It's nice to see you too. Be careful out there; whoever has my communicator could be dangerous."

"Maybe, but they're sane whoever they are. They had the presence of mind to activate the homing system, and that means they could be in trouble." The cybernetic's tone was cold and serious.

"Have you found any extra survivors?" Raven asked. Cyborg shook his head sadly.

"We've had some close encounters with a few of the packs, but most of the people in this part of the city are already dead." Raven's blood ran cold. Someone was running around, killing people who lost the fateful duel with Chaos. This was a dangerous person, a step above the rank and file criminals the Titans usually encountered. This was Slade or Brother Blood level brutality.

"Where are you?"

Cyborg told her, using the same grid system that divided the city so neatly before its fall. "Stay out of sight and I'll meet up with you. I have a bad feeling about this. Beast Boy will hold down the fort," Raven said before snapping the communicator shut and tossing it to Beast Boy. His pointed ears drooped imperceptibly as he caught it.

"I guess I'll see you when you get back…" he muttered, but Raven was already on her way out and didn't hear him. A sorrowful gale swirled around the green boy, but Raven had withdrawn to protect herself from the residual chaos in the air. She felt nothing of her teammate's despair.

ooooo

Raven crept through the streets, careful to keep to the shadows and constantly checking her back. She'd been able to avoid a direct confrontation with the packs, and the empath wanted to keep it that way. Raven knew she wouldn't be able to use her powers for any prolonged period of time without putting her sanity and her life on the line. Any fighting would need to be fast and deadly, and the demoness had no desire to kill more people than she already had. Cyborg and Robin weren't far away. She glanced at the angry sky and sighed. She missed real clouds. She remembered they were white and fluffy, dancing silently across the sky and promising to contribute in their own small way to the continued circle of life, but it was a distant memory, something out of a barely recalled dream. This was a world unsuited for life.

The cycle was broken.

A shriek launched through the air. Raven recognized it immediately as the tell-tale sign of Cyborg's sonic cannon. She took one last glance over her shoulder before breaking into a sprint. Cyborg and Robin were waiting for her; once the three Titans were untied they would be able to protect each other, thus making it easier to stay safe while simultaneously pulling their punches. The empath knew for a fact that Robin would never willing kill a person, no matter how ravaged his or her mind was. The Boy Wonder wouldn't even seriously consider killing madmen like Slade. He had enough rage for the task, Raven knew that, but when the chips were down, the acrobat always held back – just a little. Just enough. It was what made him a hero.

Raven raced through the streets, skipping over rubble and swerving around the corpses of buildings. The empath burst into the middle of a full-blown war. Cyborg was in the middle of it all, sonic cannon armed and firing; Robin was nowhere to be seen, but Raven knew he was in the midst of the battle. There were maddened swarms converging on the Titan's agreed rallying point, but there were multiple packs present. The sight of mob violence was overwhelming.

Raven dashed to a collapsed office building and grabbed in its gutted belly with her powers. The instinct was born of countless battles just like this one, but Raven released her powers and cried out as her mind was stabbed by depraved madness. The sound cut through the air and seemed unnaturally loud given the constant shouts, growls, and explosions coming from the combatants.

A woman covered in crusted blood lunged at Raven. Her nails were long and chipped. Raven ducked out of the way of the woman's desperate lunge and threw a sharp jab into her opponent's abdomen before wrapping her up in obsidian magic. The sorceress sent the woman flying as soon as possible, hissing sharply as the poor woman's meaningless existence spilled over into her consciousness, stabbing and rending. The woman sailed through the air and slammed into a man who'd been busily trying to break Cyborg's metal neck.

The cybernetic Titan used his assailant's momentary distraction to flip him over his shoulder and into the nearest building.

"Yo, Robin! Rae's here. Let's go!" he called, leveling his cannon at a swarm of children, each with glazed eyes and matted hair. The sonic energy slammed into the kids and scattered them like bowling pins, but the usually electric blue beam was dull. Cyborg was holding back.

Raven watched in fascination as Robin shot a grappling hook near her. The device imbedded itself with a harsh clang and then the Boy Wonder was flying toward her. He did a quick mid-air summersault, bracing against the stone with his legs before sticking a landing. Raven noticed he stumbled from the pressure on his recently healed leg.

"We still need to find whoever has Raven's communicator," Robin shouted, drawing a handful of metal pellets from a pouch in his utility belt. The Boy Wonder tossed the pellets into the air. They fell across the street and erupted in thick black smoke. Everything was obscured from view, but Raven had taken a mental snapshot when she realized what Robin had planned. The empath took a few hesitant steps before trotting away from the battle. When the smoke cleared, the packs would continue their battle, but the three Titans would not be present for the bloodbath.

Raven saw Robin ahead of her and she sped up. The acrobat's speed dazzled Raven; after his near-death experience, she'd expected him to be weakened. She should have known better. Robin would never allow something as inconsequential as death to slow him down. The boy was an indomitable force of nature with a will to boot.

"You really shouldn't be exerting yourself so much," Raven dead-panned when she caught up with her leader.

"Now isn't the most convenient time to be bed-ridden," Robin replied grimly. "We still don't even know what caused this."

"That isn't exactly true," Raven sighed. The slight ring of Cyborg's metal feet signaled the eldest Titan's arrival. "This was a booby-trap set by Chaos," Raven said, waving at the dilapidated streets. "We cured you because I talked to an Entity who claimed to be the Entity of Knowledge. He said in a universe without order, all things exist in the places they're least likely to be found. You were cured because we let the poison run its course."

"There was a dimensional window created over the city that allowed one of Trigon's servants to enter. I couldn't figure out how to close it, so I tried to use the same twisted logic that saved you – I opened it. It was a trap." Raven finished her brief narrative and glanced up at Robin. Not for the first time, the empath wished she could see beyond his mask and into his eyes. They would tell her something, but the mask revealed nothing. She thought about probing with her powers, but decided against it. Chaos hung too thickly in the air.

"So we know how this happened," Robin said at length. "How do we fix it? This is your field, Raven. How do we get out of this trap?"

She didn't know. Raven shook her head and inclined her head. A stale wind whispered around the three heroes. Cyborg shook his head and checked the console in his right arm.

"Rae's communicator is on the move again. It's heading toward the city limits," he said.

"Forget it," Robin decided. "We need to stay together. If we ran off after this person, we'd be leaving Beast Boy and the others alone. We can't risk that. Run a sweep for Starfire."

Cyborg looked sadly at his leader before complying. The readout didn't change. Starfire's communicator wasn't on. Robin's jaw set as he looked at the readout.

"Could Chaos be fooling your systems again?" the acrobat snapped.

"Yeah, man. My systems could be dead wrong, but I have no way of telling. Even if I knew they were being fooled, I wouldn't know how to fix the problem," Cyborg groaned.

"And Starfire could have lost or broken her communicator like I did," Raven added helpfully. "She'll be fine, Robin. This is Starfire we're talking about. She's endured worse."

Robin's head snapped up at the tone of Raven's voice. He eyed the empath suspiciously. "What do you know that I don't?"

"That's something you should take up with Starfire," Raven said, her voice hard. "We'll be seeing her shortly, so make a list."

"I want to see Star as much as the next guy, but what do we do then?" Cyborg interrupted. The metallic Titan was glaring at the city that had been his home, taking in the bodies and the blood and the madness. "The only thing we know for sure is that we're going up against a scheming God who's hijacked the minds of pretty much everyone in the city. How do we fight that? We can't fight the people, they're just pawns and hurting them won't do anything to Chaos."

"We'll figure something out," Robin said. "We always do."

"We're down to three from five," Cyborg spat bitterly.

"Five," Raven insisted. Beast Boy might have lost his powers and Starfire might have been missing, but Raven wasn't ready to count the Tamaranian or the former changeling out just yet. Raven felt the air pulse around her, and then felt something burrowing into her being, snaking through the mental channels carved by the flow of her powers. Raven never felt more violated.

"If he's still alive but doesn't have his powers, Beast Boy's become a liability."

Raven's eyes widened before narrowing into slits. No one had spoken, but she recognized Seth's voice. The demoness resolved then and there to stop using her powers: they were weakening her mental defenses and giving Chaos a foothold.

"I'm going to ask you guys a strange question," Raven said after taking a calming breath. Robin and Cyborg broke off their conversation and looked at Raven. She found herself unable to remember what the two boys had been talking about before her interruption.

"Have either of you heard voices since you woke up? Maybe you've been having strange dreams the past few nights?" Robin and Cyborg shared a curios glance before answering. Neither boy had been hearing voices or having strange dreams. Robin, ever the detective, turned the question back on Raven.

"I haven't been sleeping the past few days – I woke up a few hours ago – but I just heard the Entity I spoke to about curing you," she answered.

"What did he say?" Cyborg asked.

"Nothing that matters, just verbal poison."

Robin nodded knowingly. The Boy Wonder knew the power of psychological warfare better than any of Teen Titans still living. The toxic creep of hurtful words was a specialty of Slade's, and it could twist and deform even the strongest wills given enough time.

"If you need to talk, we're all here for you," he said before taking out his communicator. "Beast Boy, you've been listening?"

"Not much else to do here, dude," the former changeling replied. Raven glared at the communicator, but she was out of view and the green boy was unaffected. She hadn't known he was eavesdropping.

"You have any thoughts?" Robin asked.

Beast Boy snorted scornfully at the notion. "Yeah. Right. But I was trying to figure out how to apply that clue thing to my powers… So I guess I'll stop now."

"That would be a good idea," Raven said. "We don't know what might happen, and we can't afford to take too many chances."

The demoness glanced at Robin and regarded her leader thoughtfully. Both Cyborg and Robin looked tired and battered. The strain of their situation reflected in their faces, and Robin was still in desperate need of rest.

"We should head back to the plant. We need to rest and come up with a plan," she suggested. Robin shook his head stubbornly. Raven frowned.

"We need to find Starfire," the acrobat insisted. "If she's alone in this mess…"

"She'll find a way to cope. These packs are too much to fight nonstop," Raven insisted. "We won't do anyone any good if we get ourselves killed."

Cyborg hummed thoughtfully. "I don't like the idea of leaving Starfire alone in this. She's still injured, Raven, and her emotions will be acting up in these conditions – especially if she's afraid or thinks no one else made it. That'll mess with her powers."

Raven growled. She didn't like the idea of Starfire being on her own while the streets were swarmed by crazed civilians and the city slowly crumbled into a charred husk, but they had no way to find Starfire and wandering around would get them all massacred unless they were willing to kill. Raven could see it in her friends' eyes; they weren't prepared to kill people who could possibly be saved.

Without any other course of action open to her, Raven kicked Robin's recently healed leg. The Boy Wonder cried out and fell toward the ground before Cyborg caught him.

"Raven!" Cyborg snapped. She cut him off with a glare.

"Starfire's a big girl. She's more capable of taking care of herself than you give her credit for. Tamaranians know battle – they know survival. None of us are in any condition to be running gallantly into the abyss! We'll get killed. Then where will we be?" The empath took a calming breath. "We need to regroup. We need a plan."

Robin hissed through clenched teeth as he put weight back on his leg. The boy's shoulders were square, his jaw set. A brief war waged across Robin's features before he nodded.

"We'll head back for the night and try to piece together a strategy," he said icily.

Raven was relieved when the Boy Wonder didn't put up too much of a fight. They had already been in the open for too long; there was no telling when a pack would roam by and see them.

The journey back to the treatment plant took longer than it should have, more than once the three Titans had to loop back or take cover in the carcasses of old buildings to avoid being spotted and drawn into a brawl. The sky was a deep ruby when they arrived at the old building, and the temperature had begun to drop. The cold lashed against Raven's face and gnawed at her fingers with icy fangs. The air was ringing with the same wailing that had followed the crimson flood into the world, and there was, as always, little wind to speak of, making the air heavy and stagnant.

Beast Boy and the survivors greeted them unenthusiastically. The green elf was covered in water and smelled of sulfur. "We're out of water," he informed Robin when the Boy Wonder was in earshot. "Everything in the pipes is foul and all the reserves got used up."

"What about food?" Robin asked, his brow knitted in thought.

"Not much left," Beast Boy said pitifully. "Whatever Chaos did, it ruined all the food and water."

Cyborg groaned. "Any problems while we were out?" the metallic teenager asked.

"Jeff's been jumpy for a while, but nothing I noticed," Beast Boy answered. "He thinks the back door's being watched, but I've been back there a few times. Nothing."

Robin turned to Raven. She cut off his request. "I can't try and sense anything: Chaos' interference has left a fog over everything. Every time I use my powers, I open myself to another psychic attack. If Beast Boy didn't find anything, then there's nothing there."

Robin regarded Raven for a moment before turning his attention to Cyborg. The two started talking about finding or treating a water supply and other such details. The team leader caught Raven's eye and jerked his head to the side. It was a fast and fluid motion, all but imperceptible to someone not actively looking for it, but the signal was a common one between Robin and Raven. The Boy Wonder wanted to talk privately.

ooooo

Coordinating the scant number of survivors and making sure everyone had adequate medical care took longer than Raven thought possible. The sky still pulsed with furious red light, but it was a more subdued shade and the air had gotten still colder. The empath tossed and turned, but sleep was elusive. She sat up and growled.

Water dripped from the ceiling and landed on her head. Raven pulled her hood up and sighed. Things seemed so unbelievably hopeless. She had no idea how to fix this. The magnitude of the destruction was overwhelming.

"Can't sleep?" Robin asked. Raven didn't turn toward her leader's voice.

"Shouldn't you be keeping watch?"

"We need to talk."

Raven stood and started heading toward Robin. The acrobat stepped aside as she approached, regarding her silently.

"We need to make sure the perimeter's secure." The demoness brushed past Robin and headed for the front door. There were other ways into the treatment plant, of course, but her teammates had been busy while Raven fought her prolonged battle for sanity – the windows were all boarded up and the doors that couldn't be barricaded had been collapsed by careful demolition work. Robin followed behind the dark girl, his brow furrowed.

"Raven, what are you planning?"

The empath snorted. "I don't have a plan, Robin. I don't know where to start. There has to be a way to fix this but…" She shook her head. "How do you fight a God?"

"The same way you fight a demon," Robin answered without pause. "Believe it or not, I didn't have a plan when Trigon arrived." Raven arched a skeptical eyebrow. "Okay, that's not true," Robin conceded. "I did have a plan – stick together. Everything we did was to get you, Raven. There was nothing beyond that. We're at our best when we work together. The five of us can figure this out."

Raven nodded and stared out into the rubble-strewn streets. "You want to go looking for Starfire tomorrow," she said.

Robin nodded.

"Is it really that simple?" Raven asked. "Stick together and everything else comes from that?"

Robin chuckled and threw his arm around Raven's shoulder in a brief hug. "It's that simple. We'll figure something out if we work together. Nothing can stop us if we work as a team."

Raven frowned at the horizon. It didn't feel like everything would be okay; it felt like everything was irreparably damaged and nothing would ever set it right again. Yet looking at Robin and hearing his words, Raven could close her eyes and almost imagine the future he envisioned.

The sorceress opened her eyes and was brought rudely back to reality. Beast Boy didn't have his powers, Robin's leg wasn't healed, Cyborg would need recharging eventually, Starfire was missing, likely reduced to nothing more than a drooling animal, and Raven couldn't use her powers without leaving herself exposed to Seth's chaotic influence. The world was a wasted shell and it was because of her.

Robin squeezed her shoulder, and Raven glanced at her leader. He smiled gently and withdrew his arm. It was almost like the Boy Wonder had read her mind. Raven found herself missing the feeling of his arm around her; strength flowed through his arm and energized Raven with a hope she couldn't find in herself. She cursed herself for that neediness, that weakness.

"How do you do it?" Raven sighed, leaning against the wall and disappearing in a fog of shadow. Robin smiled.

"Hope's powerful, Raven. We all feel it, we all have it, we all keep it stored away inside us until it's needed. You're the most hopeful person I've ever met, and one day you'll learn to share that hope with others."

A shiver ran down Raven's spine, and it had nothing to do with the temperature. The certainty of Robin's words stirred something in her, and the empath felt warmer in that instant, surer of herself than she'd ever been before. She felt like a leader, and the rush was exhilarating. Then the feeling was gone and Raven was left feeling small and alone in a world that had rotted around her.

Stone clattered in the streets. Both Raven and Robin tensed, preparing themselves for a fight. A lone figure emerged from an alley across the road from the treatment plant, and Raven gasped. Walking out of the alley, covered in dust and grime and oxidized blood, was Slade. The villain's mask glinted in the fiery light, and his lone eye locked onto the door. He crossed the street without checking his surroundings, preferring instead to walk straight for the door, looking straight at Robin.

The acrobat reached to his belt and withdrew a few select disks. Raven stayed her leader's hand and shot him a warning glance. Robin fumed. Under his breath, the Boy Wonder cursed colorfully.

"He knows a few things about the Entities that weren't covered in my books," Raven said, remembering the man's confusing actions as the world was swarmed by madness. "You don't need to like him, but I'd like to hear what he has to say."

Slade held up a supinated hand when he got in earshot. "I'm surprised at you, Robin. It isn't like you to leave a damsel in distress." Resting in the man's palm were the remains of Raven's communicator, the pieces connected by loose copper wire and rusted chips of metal salvaged from decimated buildings.

"I hardly consider myself a damsel in distress, Slade," Raven hissed, making her presence known. "What do you want?"

Slade chuckled and eyed Raven thoughtfully. "Raven… what an unexpected surprise," he said. She bristled. Slade was the person who'd been assassinating the loners who lost against Chaos. He'd seen Raven writhing on the ground and counted on her ultimate surrender.

"The question isn't what I want," the masked man continued. "The question is what you want – and how I can help you get it."

Robin narrowed his eyes. "We don't need your help, Slade. I told you what would happen if I ever saw you again."

He nodded. "I thought, given the circumstances, you might consider revising your previous threats. We made such a marvelous team last time…"

"Why would you want to help us?" Raven asked before Robin lost his temper.

"This world has no future. Staying trapped in this madness is death, either slow and creeping or brutally fast. I've died once before, if you remember. It isn't an experience I'm eager to repeat," Slade said.

"Self-preservation?" Robin snorted. The Boy Wonder glared dangerously at his nemesis. "There's more to it than that."

Slade tossed the remains of Raven's communicator at Robin. The hostile superhero caught it deftly. Slade walked into the treatment plant without pause. The Boy Wonder let him pass grudgingly.

"You're right," Slade said once he was inside. "But my motivation isn't that important when you weigh in other essential factors." The villain's voice was cold and fluid, traipsing through the air to land on Raven's skin before sliding, a coat of oil, to the floor.

"We're listening," Robin growled, crossing his arms over his chest. "What factors are you talking about?"

Slade leaned against the wall and sunk to the floor, sitting on the damp concrete and massaging his leg. Raven saw a flash of red and realized that Slade was bleeding. A part of her was very happy about that.

Robin growled, mistaking Slade's actions for calculated baiting. He hadn't seen the blood.

"What do you know, Slade!"

Robin's shout echoed through the plant and resounded in the darkness. Moments later both Cyborg and Beast Boy burst onto the scene, Beast Boy's eyes still partially sealed by sleep. The former changeling saw Slade before his metallic companion, and the green boy groaned.

"What's he doing here?" Beast Boy hissed.

The new arrivals glanced at their leader for a sign of what they should do. Robin gave them a signal, and both Cyborg and Beast Boy relaxed, though tension lingered in their shoulders. Slade clicked his tongue against his teeth and shook his head.

"So eager to throw me back onto the streets? Look around you, Titans." Slade waved dismissively at his surroundings. "Do you have too many friends?"

"We'd rather only deal with people we know can be trusted. It makes it a lot easier to work with someone when you don't have to worry about him coming up behind you and snapping your neck," Raven whispered. The empath's monotonous drone cut through the tense silence, hot steel through ice.

"Yes, but the trust and dependability you're talking about is rare, Raven, and beggars can't be choosers." Slade turned his head from left to right and studied the assembled Titans as his neck cracked quietly. Raven felt a knot form in her stomach, and it tightened when Slade's steely eye landed on her. The man was up to something.

"I do love these little reunions, but we seem to be missing someone. Tell me… where is Starfire?" From the tone of his voice, it was painfully obvious that Slade was smirking.

* * *

**AN: **Haha. Sorry for the cliffy. Don't kill me. As always, please take a moment to tell me what you think. I appreciate your feed-back.


	6. Chapter 6

I want to thank all of my readers and reviewers so much! You guys really are amazing, and the response to the last chapter was particularly heart-warming. It's amazing how good praise is at shattering writer's block. So, ahead of schedule, I want to present the sixth apocalyptic chapter of Darkness Calls.

* * *

"Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes into you."

– Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

**Darkness Calls: Chapter 6**

Robin was on Slade before Raven could blink. The Kid Flash would have been hard pressed to match the speed of Robin's strike. His fist connected brutally with Slade's stomach, the force of the blow lifting the masked villain into a standing position, before Robin grabbed Slade's shoulders and pinned him against the wall. Flakes of concrete chipped off the wall and fell to stew in the stagnant water.

"What do you know!" Robin roared.

"More than you can imagine," Slade said around an imperceptible gasp for breath. The Boy Wonder growled dangerously.

Raven watched the exchange with wide eyes. Robin had lost control. The young acrobat was regaining it now, but even without the aid of her powers Raven knew that Robin had left them – just for a moment, just barely – but the person who slammed Slade against the wall was capable of terrible, terrible things. He was dangerous.

"Put him down," she commanded. The empath's voice was crisp and sharp and rung in the silence like clashing blades. "Now," Raven added when her leader hesitated. Slade's feet found purchase on the floor, and the man sunk back to his seated position.

"I can lead you to Starfire… but there's a price. If I help you find your friend, you need to include me in your plan to undo this careless accident. It's really in your best interest," Slade said. Raven felt herself bristle.

Cyborg crossed his arms. "You'll lead us to Starfire. Just like that?" Slade said nothing.

"What if we don't like what we find?" Raven asked. She regarded Slade for a moment. "You're a gifted murderer. You'll lead us to Starfire – alive?"

The man actually laughed, and the sound was more unwelcome in that rundown building than any Raven ever heard. "Of course."

Beast Boy scowled and ran his fingers through his hair until the green locks resembled a hastily constructed rat's nest. The former changeling expelled a frustrated breath. "Why do you want to help us fix this? Why's that your price, Slade? We'd try to fix this anyway… without your help."

Slade spared Beast Boy a disdainful glance. "You're thinking too much. It doesn't suite you, Beast Boy." The youngest Titan glared at Slade until Raven was positive the intensity of the gaze would strip the villain's flesh from his bones. Robin nodded once, a small little jerk of his spiky-haired head to indicate that the same thought had crossed his mind.

"Let's go, Slade. Where's Starfire?" he said. Slade made no attempt to rise from the floor. The man stretched his injured leg out for inspection. Robin froze when he finally saw the injury.

"We can't go anywhere tonight. Don't worry. Starfire will probably still be around in the morning," Slade said. Robin turned to Raven, but the empath cut him off before he could speak.

"I'm not healing him. It's dangerous for me to use my powers. Starfire can look after herself for a few extra hours," she droned. Robin scowled at her. There was obviously a war going on inside the boy's head, and Raven could tell from the tightening around his mouth that he was having trouble. The demoness watched as shock and anger flashed over Robin's features, quickly concealed by a stony visage. There was no doubt in the empath's mind about the cause.

Seth was in Robin's head.

"Cyborg," Raven said. "Keep an eye on our guest. Make sure he's comfortable and undisturbed." The hidden order was to isolate Slade and keep him under careful surveillance. Cyborg moved to obey. "Beast Boy. Try and get back to sleep. Robin," Raven turned to her leader. He stared straight at her, unmoving. "I need your help with the service entrance at the south wall."

Robin followed behind Raven as they approached the south wall of the plant. The doorway was blocked by large chunks of concrete, some as large as Raven. Trying to excavate the entrance would cause it to cave-in. Nobody and nothing would be coming in or leaving through the service entrance any time soon.

"I'm fine, Raven," Robin said before she could speak. "Slade just gets under my skin, that's all. I know you want him around for what he knows. It won't happen again."

Raven didn't respond immediately. Robin would never admit that Seth was in his head, and he would never dream of discussing why Slade affected him so strongly with her. The empath sighed. She missed Starfire: the cheery Tamaranian was better at placating Robin than she would ever be. Starfire had a natural gift to heal with her actions and words. The sorceress' fingers began to tingle at the memory of tracing the alien girl's scars. It felt like a lifetime to Raven since she last dressed Starfire's wounds.

The empath shot a glance at Robin. The Boy Wonder was staring pensively at the rubble blocking the door. He looked so small. The boy who travelled into the depths of Hell to find her and the boy standing next to her couldn't be the same person. He looked lost. The sight left Raven feeling winded. Robin was a hero, all the Titans were. It was sometimes hard to remember that they were also mortal.

Raven shivered.

"Don't attack Slade anymore. We need him. For the moment, we need him," she said, drawing her cloak around her. "We'll find Starfire. She's probably scared, but she's strong."

Robin growled deep in his throat. The Boy Wonder rounded on Raven and snapped: "What makes you think we need Slade? You know we can't trust him!" Raven matched her leader's fiery anger with a calculated coolness. The empath's violet eyes shone brightly in the red light that snaked into the building, a painful reminder of the chaos that had engulfed the world.

"We need Slade because he knows these Entities! He knows how they work and understands why. Slade. Slade Wilson. Without his research, we wouldn't even know what we were up against!"

The anger drained from Robin like water escaping through clasped fingers. Shock settled in its place. Raven didn't give the acrobat enough time to fixate on the true identity of his nemesis.

"We can't trust him to tell us the truth, but we can trust his survival instincts. He'll want to undo all this just as badly as we do. This world Seth created can only end in death. I don't trust Slade, and I'm sure Slade doesn't trust us… but we can use each other. As long as Slade thinks he can benefit from working with us–"

Robin shook his head sharply, the anger creeping back into his voice. "That's a dangerous gamble, Raven. You don't know Slade like I do. If you give him the chance, he'll use you and then dispose of you."

"He can lead us to Starfire," Raven said, reluctantly pulling the one lever she knew would gain Robin's cooperation. "He wasn't lying about that. We might not like what we find, but we'll find her."

Raven watched as Robin drew into himself, locking his face into an immovable mask as he mulled over all the options available to him. The calculations were complete in a few seconds. Robin sighed. The sound escaped the Boy Wonder's lips and died prematurely in the darkness.

"Don't make the same mistakes I've made, Raven. Don't assume you understand Slade and what motivates him. It's a mistake with more consequences than you can imagine." Without another word, Robin turned from the service entrance and marched into the belly of the plant. Raven watched the boy go. Her leotard suddenly felt too small for her body. She pulled at the neck to alleviate the feeling only to discover that it was her skin, not her uniform, that was too tight. She turned back to the demolished door with a shudder.

Raven knew it was beyond her to understand Slade. She still felt daunted by the logic the man had displayed in his writings. Slade was too complicated to fully understand, but he was still human. Raven didn't need to understand all the assassin's facets – just a few. The sorceress shook her head to quiet her thoughts. Raven heard footsteps approaching and smiled softly. Beast Boy was behind her. She acknowledged him without turning away from the demolished doorway.

"Beast Boy."

"I don't like him being here," the former changeling said. His words held a rare finality that shocked Raven. Beast Boy very rarely sounded so forceful. So powerful. "Slade never does anything without a reason, Raven. Why would he offer to lead us to Starfire? What can he gain from that?"

Raven swallowed past a nervous lump in her throat. "Slade wants to return the world to how it was. He obviously needs all of us to help him do that."

"It can't be that simple: with Slade, it never is."

The sorceress suddenly felt very tired. A headache began throbbing in her temples. Slade couldn't already be planning something, not so soon after everything was turned inside out. Even Slade wasn't that smart. Listening to Beast Boy, Raven wasn't so sure anymore. The green elf sounded so confident, so sure. It was uncharacteristic of the former changeling, and Raven couldn't help but notice and be caught by the strangeness of the moment.

"What do you think he's up to?" Raven asked. The sneer she meant to add to the question refused to surface. Beast Boy shook his head sorrowfully.

"I don't know, but he's up to something. I'm sure of it. Slade manipulates people. It's what he does. The circumstances won't change that. He'll only see opportunity here…" the green boy trailed off and furrowed his brow in thought. Raven couldn't help but smile at her friend. His lower canine jutted up from between his lips and turned his skin a light green where it pressed into his flesh.

"We'll be careful then," she said. "But we can use him just as easily as he can use us. If he can lead us to Starfire, it's worth the risk."

"Do you think she's okay?"

Raven felt fear well up inside her, and she smothered the feeling, retreating to a place of inner calm where nothing of the outside world could follow. "I don't know," she said at length. "No matter what, we need to find her – for all our sakes."

ooooo

Red light churned in the sky, bathing everything in the crimson light of fresh blood. The air was heavy and unmoving, permeated by a perpetual chill that stung at Raven's nose and ears and gnawed at her fingers and toes. The wailing that had followed chaos into the world rang shrilly in the empty city.

Slade was leading the Teen Titans through the corpse of Jump City unerringly. The masked assassin hadn't spoken for hours, and no one was willing to break the silence. Beast Boy walked slightly ahead of Raven, his eyes sharp. The former changeling kept scenting the air. Whether by Slade's genius navigation or a blessed display of good luck, they hadn't run into any of the packs. Cyborg stayed behind Slade, his robotic eye trained on their guide, watching for the physical minutiae that would warn of treachery or foul play. Robin was on tether hooks: the Boy Wonder was only half a step behind Slade, breathing down the man's neck, his masked eyes turned to the horizon in search of Starfire.

Beast Boy stopped abruptly, and Raven ran into his back. She took a step backward to steady herself. The glare she'd meant to direct at the boy died when she took in the elf's posture. Neck stiff. Fists clenched. Back straight. Raven put a slender hand on her friend's shoulder.

"What is it, Beast Boy?"

Slade glanced back at the sound of Raven's voice. "Beast Boy's smelt an old friend. I'd forget about it if I were you," Slade continued, speaking to Beast Boy but turning away. "That creature beat you when you had your powers. Without them, you won't stand a chance."

Raven felt Beast Boy stiffen, and her grip on his shoulder intensified. The former changeling had smelt the shade that robbed him of his abilities. The boy jerked away from Raven violently. Beast Boy glared to the east, and Raven felt knots forming in her stomach. That shade was a powerful creature; Beast Boy couldn't possibly beat it, but the thoughts running through the green boy's head were written on his face. He'd do anything to get his powers back, even if it meant dying in pursuit of them.

"Please, Beast Boy," Raven whispered low enough for only his keen ears to hear. "Not now. We'll help… but later. Right now we need to find Starfire." The empath tried to catch her friend's eye, but Beast Boy deliberately avoided her gaze.

"I know what it's like to lose your powers," Raven continued. "After I became Trigon's portal… I didn't know what to do. I know how you feel. Please, be patient. We'll all help you." Acting on its own volition, Raven's hand dropped to the pocket at her hip. The empath withdrew Beast Boy's lucky penny and pressed the pristine metal into the boy's palm.

"Find a penny, pick it up," Raven whispered as she closed Beast Boy's fingers around the coin. "I promise, I'll do everything I can to help. All we need is patience and a little bit of luck."

Beast Boy opened his hand and frowned at the profile of Abraham Lincoln. "Roosevelt? I never thought you were superstitious, Rae." Raven blinked. He got the president's name wrong. That wasn't too surprising; Beast Boy's grasp of American history was mostly gleaned off the backs of cereal boxes. The truly troubling detail was that Beast Boy was acting like he'd never seen the penny before. The demoness frowned.

Beast Boy had to remember this penny.

This was a special penny.

It was their penny.

And he'd forgotten. Seth had pried that memory away from Beast Boy as the elf fought for sanity. Raven felt tears forming at the corners of her eyes, and she blinked them away.

"Hey, I'm sorry!" Beast Boy said, waving his hands frantically to placate her. "I didn't know it was a sensitive subject or anything."

Raven shook her head. "It isn't… and I'm not superstitious. That's the only lucky penny I've ever believed in." There was a pregnant pause as she collected herself. "That's a special penny, that's all."

"So why are you giving it to me?" Beast Boy asked, holding the coin out to her.

"Because when I ran out of hope and when I ran out of luck you gave me a little extra. I wanted to say thanks… and return the favor."

Beast Boy frowned down at his hand. Understanding sparked in the depths of his jade eyes, and the boy clenched his fist around the coin. "I forgot something important to you. I'm sorry, Rae." The elf's ears drooped.

Raven shook her head and took a calming breath. Seth would pay. He'd killed and ruined so many people with this sadistic trap – even Beast Boy. They didn't have many special bonds, they didn't have many touching moments, and Seth had stolen one of the most precious of all.

"It wasn't your fault," Raven whispered.

"Raven tries to comfort you with blatant lies, Beast Boy. You forgot. You forgot something important. And if you'd been smarter, if you'd been stronger, it wouldn't have happened. The truth, my boy, is that you failed." Slade's icy voice cut through the silence lingering between the two heroes. The man's words had an immediate impact on Beast Boy: he seized up, his eyes lost focus, fury flared in his heart.

Cyborg and Robin acted instantly. Both boys moved to strike Slade, but both were too slow. Their attacks struck empty air. The villain was cocooned in ebony magic and pinned to a crumbling wall long before Robin or Cyborg started to act.

"SHUT UP!" Raven roared. She felt the ground rattling under her feet as her powers flowed away from her body. Black light surrounded stone and crept down into the earth. Anger pulsed in Raven's veins. "What do you want, Slade? Is this your plan? We don't need any of your poison here!"

The wall cracked as Slade was pushed further into the rundown brick. Tiny lines stretched out from the center of the assassin's body like grasping fingers. The man's breath came in short and labored gasps. The entire street was swathed in frigid black energy. Raven could feel the residual chaos battering against her mental defenses, but she pushed the nagging sensation away, using the pure power of her anger to her advantage.

"Starfire," Slade gasped.

"We don't need you to find her," Raven snarled. Slade had caused so much pain. He deserved to die. He was dangerous and untrustworthy. No matter what he knew, he was too unpredictable to control.

Cyborg grabbed Raven's shoulders from behind and spun the empath around. The eldest Titan glared into his friend's eyes. "What are you doing, Raven?! We don't kill people. Let him go!" Raven ignored Cyborg and pushed harder against Slade. The wall began to groan under the strain.

Robin locked eyes with Raven. "This isn't you, Raven. Remember when you asked Cyborg and me about hearing voices? I've been hearing a voice in my head that says horrible things. Don't listen to him, Raven. Don't let Seth win. Let Slade go. You said it yourself… we need him."

Raven's eyes narrowed. The Boy Wonder matched her glare for glare. When he attacked Slade it was fine, but if she attacked the sociopathic killer it had to be because of some outside influence.

"He said he'd lead us to Starfire. We've been out here for hours, Robin. Where is she? This is a wild goose-chase, and in the meantime, the survivors you and Cyborg found have been left alone in the plant. You were right. Slade can't be predicated, he can't be controlled, he can't be understood – but he is human… and he can be killed!" Raven screamed, pushing harder against Slade, using every bit of power she could muster to squeeze the man to death.

"Be quiet!" Beast Boy barked. "I heard something. We've been in one place too long, and we've been making too much noise. Something's coming." Raven strained her ears and heard it. There were people running down the rubble-strewn streets. She released Slade with a snarl. The assassin stretched once he was released, popping his spine, sternum, and shoulders in turn, apparently unconcerned with his near-death experience.

The pack rounded a corner and looked upon the Titans and their guide. It was a much smaller group than most of them, but three members of the pack stood out. The hulking creature from the prison flexed its multiple arms when it saw the Titans. A black shade hovered off to the side, its face unreadable and its eyes full of sinister intent. And in the middle of it all, coated in blood and wearing the tattered remains of a purple uniform, was Starfire. Her hair was matted with blood and her emerald eyes burned with eerie radiation.

Robin chocked back a sob. "God, no. Starfire! Starfire!" His calls fell on deaf ears, and the Tamaranian princess' hands sprung to life with the deadly energy of her starbolts.

The group scattered as Starfire let her attack fly. Raven dove for the ground as a bolt of radiation flew toward her. The green energy whizzed over her head, passing close enough for Raven to feel the heat pouring off it. Robin shot a grappling hook into the nearest building and sailed out of range of the attacks. Cyborg planted his feet firmly in the rubble and caught a bolt as it sailed at him. The attack had more power than the cybernetic teenager expected, and the mechanical hero was lifted off his feet and sent hurdling down the street. Beast Boy cried out and ran.

When Raven looked up, Slade was already immersed in combat. The masked villain blocked a sloppy lunge from a raven-haired youth and spun the boy around. Slade's hands clasped over the boy's ears, and, with a quick jerk and a sound like a shot, the boy went limp. Slade picked up the boy and tossed his corpse at the many-armed monstrosity charging him. It still bore the four arms Raven had battled with during the prison break days before, but it also nursed two sickly arms that it had sprouted during its brief possession.

The six armed creature caught the corpse with a swift punch, and the boy's battered body flew at Robin. The Boy Wonder jumped over the incoming projectile and used the body as a springboard. Once in the air, Robin drew two birderangs from his utility belt. The metal weapons flew true and bit into the six armed creature's flesh.

Raven regained her senses and moved to help her teammates. The sorceress called upon her powers, heedless of the chaos in the air, and flung rubble at the pack. Many of the weaker combatants, civilians robbed of their senses and their souls by Seth, were struck once by flying shards of concrete and did not rise again. Raven tried not to think about whether or not she'd hit hard enough to kill them.

Beast Boy rushed headlong at the shade that had possessed him. The former changeling threw a punch at the creature which it easily evaded. The green boy followed up by spinning on his heel and throwing his leg out. It was a sloppy kick, and Raven recognized the movement. It was the same one Beast Boy always used to gain momentum before shifting into an Ankylosaurus and attacking with the dinosaur's clubbed tail. The transformation never came, and the shade caught Beast Boy's leg in a black tendril.

Raven concentrated and created a wall of magical energy between the shade and Beast Boy. The creature lunged forward, possibly to possess Beast Boy again, and crashed into the barrier. Beast Boy rounded on Raven, his expression livid.

"Why did you–"

The youngest member of the Teen Titans was interrupted when a blast of emerald radiation slammed into his torso. Beast Boy flew backward. Acting on instinct, Raven caught the boy with her powers and set him down.

Motion at the corner of Raven's eye drew her attention, and the empath turned to see Robin doing one hand spring after another, an endless chain of back-flips. Starfire was shooting starbolts at the Boy Wonder relentlessly, and the Tamaranian's aim was slowly improving. Cyborg was rushing up behind Robin. Seeing this, Raven nodded to herself.

A portal opened underneath Robin during his next handspring, and the masked acrobat sank into the ground. Raven opened a second portal and deposited her leader next to her. No sooner was Robin out of harm's way than a screeching jet of sonic energy slammed into Starfire. The alien girl flew backward like a ragdoll. Robin blinked.

"How'd Cyborg do that?"

"Starfire's powers are fueled by her emotions," Raven answered, picking up a chunk of rubble with her powers as she did. "Flight comes from happiness. Super strength comes from confidence. She can't feel any of those things in her condition. But starbolts comes from fury." Raven loosed the concrete, and the projectile smashed into a small crowd of civilians. There cries were short-lived and their blood plentiful.

"Raven, what are you doing?" Robin gasped, seeing the carnage the demoness was unleashing. They didn't kill, that was what separated them from people like Slade. Heroes never killed.

"These people are lost, Robin. They can't be saved, and as long as they live, they're a threat," Raven responded. She didn't see the shadow pass over her leader's face.

"Stay away from Starfire," he demanded before leaping back into battle.

Slade and Beast Boy were busily dodging blows from the six armed creature. The two made a sloppy team at best: Slade would set up a weakness on the creature's lower flank when Beast Boy was prepared to strike its upper one; Beast Boy would draw the monster into overextending itself when Slade was in no position to exploit the weakness. One of the creature's gimpy arms caught Slade's wounded leg. The man was hefted into the air and his body turned into an impromptu baseball bat.

The monster swung Slade at Beast Boy, and the former changeling ducked under the armored man. One of the creature's muscled arms swung up and caught Beast Boy in a powerful upper hook that lifted him off the ground. Both Beast Boy and Slade were sent flying. Slade crashed into Cyborg from behind, allowing a ravaged man of fifty to pounce on the cybernetic teen. Beast Boy flew at Robin. The Boy Wonder easily evaded the flying elf and rained blow after blow onto Starfire. He was holding back; Raven could see him pulling his punches; she could see him kicking with steel-toed boots but using his heels to strike instead. Raven shook her head.

There was no helping Starfire.

She wanted to scream, she wanted to weep. Raven felt like she should feel so much. She felt like she should act in a certain way, but she found herself unable to get in touch with the human part of her heart. It scared her, and part of her knew why it was happening. She'd been fighting Seth for too long, she'd been using her powers too much, and now the God of Chaos was inside her, influencing her thoughts so subtly that she couldn't identify which thoughts were hers and which weren't anymore.

Beast Boy picked himself off the street and rushed at the shade. The creature flew away, moving slowly, taunting Beast Boy by staying just out of reach. Raven called upon her powers and a claw of ebony magic formed around her hand. The taloned fist flew forth and sunk into the shade. Raven cried out at the pain of touching the thing. She sunk to the ground. The empath didn't feel the stone bang against her knees.

She felt like some invisible force had reached into her and taken hold of her very essence. Then top and bottom were pulled in opposite directions. Raven could feel the fabric of who and what she was tearing, ripping under the strain of Chaos' influence.

"That wasn't very smart, Raven," Seth's voice cooed in her ear. The sorceress ignored the barb and tried to center herself. Slowly her body came back to her. Blood was flowing from her knees, and her breath was coming in slow, shallow breaths, not at all as rapid as it should have been given the exertion of the battle ragging around her.

"How do we undo this?" she hissed. Raven felt Seth chuckle within her.

"There is no undoing this. It only gets worse."

"LIAR!" Raven yelled. She wrenched away from the shade, and her connection to Seth was broken. She could still feel the malignant Entity inside her, but at least he was silent. Beast Boy jumped on the shade once Raven had released it, and the creature melted into the boy's flesh. Beast Boy collapsed on the ground and started convulsing. Raven gasped.

In a world without order, all things exist in the places they're least likely to be found. Beast Boy was allowing himself to be possessed because he thought it would restore his powers.

Cyborg and Slade were hammering away at the six armed creature. When the monster swung all its arms simultaneously Cyborg ducked and caught the lower two. Slade leapt up on Cyborg's back and grabbed the upper two arms. The nimble assassin used the monster's own arms as a pivot and swung down behind it. Slade wrapped his legs around the creature's neck and allowed gravity to do the rest. Cyborg held the creature's arms tightly, and as Slade fell the monster's spine was forced to endure more and more pressure. With a sickening crack, the abomination's back broke.

A cry from Robin drew Raven's attention. The Boy Wonder was nursing a colorful bruise on the left side of his face. Starfire's eyes burned with emerald radiation, and twin beams of light shot from them. Robin was caught full in the chest and slid back along the street. The pack had diminished. Starfire was all that remained.

"Come on, Star," Cyborg pleaded, his sonic cannon unfolding from his arm. "Don't make us do this. We don't want to do this." Raven closed her eyes. All the use of her powers was finally taking its toll. She could feel Seth inside her now, stabbing and rending, tearing her apart from the inside, planting doubts and fears and dark thoughts in unexpected places in her psyche for her to find unexpectedly.

"The Starfire you knew no longer exists," Slade hissed, drawing an evil looking device from his belt. It resembled a hand-held drill. The metal glinted in the crimson light.

"That's what Trigon said about Raven," Cyborg countered. "There are remnants of Starfire in there somewhere, I know there are!"

"There's nothing there," Raven intoned. The casual monotone pierced into Cyborg. The metallic Titan turned desperate eyes to Raven.

"Rae… tell me that's not true."

Raven allowed a lone tear to slip down the contours of her pale face. The water crept along her cheek. Starfire deserved better than this. The Tamaranian was so strong. There was no way Seth could destroy all that goodness, but Raven knew it was true. Starfire was gone. One hundred percent of the perky alien had been shredded.

"I wish I could," Raven whispered. The sorceress wrapped her powers around her old friend, fighting against the onslaught of chaos that followed. Cyborg turned away as Slade approached his friend, the drill held ready. As Slade reached for Starfire, thick gray smoke erupted around her. Birderangs sailed through the air and crashed into Slade's obscured form. From the trajectory, Raven knew at least one of the projectiles had been aimed at Slade's injured leg.

Raven turned toward Robin. The masked acrobat was standing only inches from her, and his fist slammed into her face before she could react. Her grip on Starfire faltered, and Raven gasped as Robin slammed a steel-toed boot into her stomach. Robin's onslaught was stopped when a rocket exploded behind him, breaking his concentration. Cyborg was standing twenty meters away, another rocket aimed and ready.

"That's enough," the African-American hero sighed. "She got away, Robin." Raven glanced toward the smoke and saw Slade lying on the ground, both hands clasped over a monstrous gash in his leg. Starfire was nowhere to be seen. For a few tense seconds, the only sounds were the persistent wailing of chaos and Beast Boy's moans as he convulsed on the ground.

"I can't believe you were ready to give up on her," Robin spat. "After everything Starfire's done for all of us, you were willing to let Slade kill her!" The acrobat glared at Raven.

The empath shook her head. "You don't get it. She's gone. The Starfire we knew is dead forever. Her soul was shredded, Robin. There's nothing there but pure animal instinct and a torturous existence. Death would be merciful compared to it."

Robin snarled and slammed his fist into a nearby chunk of rubble. "I'm not giving up on her! Not like this! Trigon said you'd been destroyed, but he was wrong, Raven. He was wrong. I don't care how powerful these Entities are. Seth can't have destroyed Starfire completely."

"You cling to a fool's hope," Slade scoffed. Robin rounded on the assassin. He slowly got to his feet, blood still flowing freely from his leg despite the hasty dressing he'd made for the wound. The dressing was a rich purple, a tattered piece of cloth torn from Starfire's uniform.

"I helped you find Starfire. Now you need to hold up your end of the bargain." The man took a few steps away from where he'd fallen. "This world isn't going to fix itself."

Robin shook his head emphatically. "We help Starfire and Beast Boy first. Cyborg," Robin turned to his friend. "Can you carry Beast Boy on the way back?"

"Rob, man, he's possessed. If I touch him, the thing might jump over to me," Cyborg said with a worried frown.

"Don't worry about that," Raven sighed. Beast Boy was so stupid, so stubborn, but he was also strong. "Beast Boy won't let it leave until he's got his power back or until he's dead. That shade isn't going anywhere."

The group started heading back to the treatment plant. A tense and angry silence hung between the members of the Teen Titans and their unlikely guide, but the team of vigilantes was finally, after years of facing the impossible side by side, officially down to a team of four.

ooooo

Raven watched Beast Boy twitch on the floor. It was the only thing the distraught empath could think of doing. She watched the green boy as he battled with the creature responsible for stealing his powers. The convulsions that wracked Beast Boy's body in the first hours of his possession had long ago subsided. A slick sheen of perspiration coated the elf's skin. Other than the occasional twitch or half-articulated moan, Beast Boy didn't move.

Robin's words kept Raven from sleeping. The Boy Wonder's raw fury leapt out at her whenever her eyelids closed. The original plan had been for Robin, Cyborg, and Raven to take turns watching over Beast Boy. Raven had assumed sole responsibility of the vigil. Sitting in the dark, surrounded by stagnant water and dripping pipes, Raven fought the urge to scream.

Everything Robin said was right. It was unforgivable how easily she'd given up of Starfire – especially considering all they'd been through. Raven owed the Tamaranian so much. Instead she volunteered to hold her immobile while Slade executed her. Raven closed her eyes and groaned as Robin's livid face swam into focus. The empath pressed her palms over her eyelids until she saw stars, but still Robin's face glared at her accusingly.

Beast Boy jerked violently on the ground, and Raven's eyes snapped open. The green boy was curled on his side, clawing at his side with gloved fingers. Raven crawled over to Beast Boy and gently took his hands away.

Raven rubbed her thumbs over the back of Beast Boy's hands, feeling each capable finger through its glove. Slowly, Raven pulled one of the gloves off. Beast Boy's hand was green and covered in soft, peach-like fuzz just like the rest of his body. The sorceress blinked when she saw her friend's nails. Instead of fingernails, each of Beast Boy's fingers was tipped by a black claw. She touched one of the razor sharp nails and traced the lethal weapon.

Raven hissed as the nail bit into her flesh. She tried to pull away, but the nail had shifted and grown. Beast Boy's entire hand had transformed before her eyes, and a three inch claw was now embedded in her pale palm. Beast Boy growled. The sound was deep and rumbling, a warning issued from the heaviest predatory cat on the planet. Raven was afraid to move lest she rouse the tiger beside her.

"Beast Boy?" she whispered. "Are you okay?" The cat didn't respond. Raven tried to pull her hand free. She gasped when the claw pulled against her muscles.

"That is a surprise," Slade's velvety voice chuckled from the shadows. "I was counting on Beast Boy being stupid enough to let himself be possessed. I never would have imagined that he'd get his powers back."

"I wouldn't recommend moving too much, Raven," the assassin continued. "Our furry friend might not be himself."

Raven pushed down her anger and smothered her fear. With a quick jerk, the demoness wretched her palm free. Blood gushed from the open wound before Raven's healing energy started to patch up the torn muscles and flesh. Beast Boy roared in his sleep, but the massive cat stayed asleep.

Beast Boy had his powers back. Raven couldn't focus on anything else. She'd been positive that the changeling was never going to regain his abilities, but here was living proof that she was wrong. She couldn't help wondering what else she'd been wrong about. Maybe Seth wasn't as perfect at destroying people as she'd given him credit for. Raven felt sick. She'd killed people because she was convinced that there was no helping them. If the people roaming the streets could still be saved, Raven had robbed them of that chance.

"Did you see that creature leave Beast Boy?" Slade asked. The masked villain's words smashed into Raven's thoughts and brought her back to the present. She shook her head. "Then he either destroyed it or it's still in him," Slade said matter-of-factly. The man looked at Raven, and she could feel him waiting, measuring her up for the first time. It had always been Robin or Terra who commanded Slade's attention, and the empath was instantly grateful for that fact. The man was too much to handle.

Raven knew what she had to do, and she knew it was what Slade was waiting for. It was probably what Slade planned. Beast Boy's earlier prediction about Slade was undeniably true; Raven knew now that the sociopath was already planning something, but she couldn't tell what. She had to make sure Beast Boy was okay, and they couldn't risk waiting until the changeling woke up. If the shade was in control instead of Beast Boy, the tiger would be let loose on the unsuspecting survivors in the basement. The sorceress rose into the air slowly, feeling chaos pulse around her. Raven crossed her legs and closed her eyes.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," Raven droned. She repeated the mantra again and again, feeling peace flow into her with each steady breath only to be snatched away by the madness flocking to her. The calm started to gain ground, and Raven redoubled her efforts. White light began to shine from behind Raven's closed eyelids, and the demoness released her soul-self.

An obsidian raven shot out of Raven's body and flew toward Beast Boy. Before the magical embodiment had fully escaped Raven's body, the young heroine felt a steely grip close around her wrist. It was too late to stop: the raven had already begun to sink into Beast Boy's sleeping body. Raven was powerless to stop as she felt another presence pass through her. Slade was using her as a conduit. His embodied soul felt clammy and oily slick as it flowed through her body, and Raven fought the urge to gag as both Slade and she disappeared into Beast Boy's body.

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**AN**: As always, please tell me what you think. I hope you enjoyed and continue to enjoy this little ol' art work of mine. Now the bad news: I'm afraid there might be a bit of a lag between this chapter and the next. I really do apologize for that. Maybe I'm wrong. I hope so. If I'm wrong, see you in a bit. If I'm right, I hope you're still here. :-)


	7. Chapter 7

As always, I want to thank my readers and reviewers for their time and words. I'm having a blast writing this story, and it's a pleasure to share it with all of you. Now, onto the show!

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"I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial." - William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

**Darkness Calls: Chapter 7**

Raven had only ever entered two human minds: Robin's and her own. Raven's mind was sharply divided by years of training and meditation, allowing each of her repressed emotions to live in their ideal setting, a private realm where their expression didn't result in catastrophic explosions. Robin's mind was a frenzied collage of memories, a movie reel put through a paper-shredder and thrown around out of sequence. Beast Boy's mind was nothing like what Raven expected: she expected messy, she expected animalistic, she expected colorful and unbearably random. The pristine metal hallways threw her off balance.

The empath started down the glistening corridors and quickly discovered that Beast Boy's mind was a maze. Bland white light bombarded her senses, and her feet kicked up clouds of dust with each step. The carpet underneath the filth was a rich pine green. Raven took a deep breath in anticipation of the fresh scent and got only stale air.

Doors were peppered throughout the maze, barely visible thresholds with tiny handles. Each door bore a light engraving – a set of dates, a name, a place. Raven passed by the doors without looking behind them; she was intruding enough without snooping through Beast Boy's inner-most thoughts.

The empath opened her mouth and called out for Beast Boy, but she got no response. The halls didn't echo. Raven looked around her, but Slade was nowhere to be seen. She knew he was here somewhere, running unchecked through Beast Boy's head. The sorceress was positive the masked villain would not respect her friend's privacy, and the thought made her angry. A faint glimmering of the assassin's plans flashed before her eyes, but it slipped away before Raven could try to understand it, running off to vanish elusively in the maze.

Raven lost track of how long she wandered the corridors of Beast Boy's mind. She passed a door without an engraving, and this more than anything else piqued the demoness' curiosity. The door had no markings, no indication of what lay behind it, and no handle. There was no way to open it. Raven closed her eyes and called upon her powers. With a quick step, a portal opened, and Raven was inside.

She was in a large room with a high-domed ceiling. The floor here was free of dust and the carpet was scarred by monstrous claws. Raven's breath caught in her throat. She knew where she was, and it was a bad place to be. Her eyes darted around the room, and the empath flinched at the large dents left in the walls. She was in a prison cell, and the prisoner regularly pounded against the walls and floor. A black figure was huddled in the corner furthest from the door, and Raven paled when she recognized it as the shade that possessed Beast Boy. The chaotic harbinger had been reduced to the size of a teddy bear and was shaking like a leaf.

A low growl sounded from Raven's right, and she slowly glanced in The Beast's direction. It was a hulking monster of green fur, and its predatory eyes were following Raven's every twitch. The animal was resting on its haunches, its powerful jaws open slightly, a crimson tongue poking into the air from between large fangs. It was larger and hairy than Raven remembered, but there could be no mistaking Beast Boy's most primal self. The changeling locked the shade in with his untamed self, and The Beast won. Now it rested contentedly on its haunches with its arms slightly bent, eyeing Raven with an animalistic hunger while the phallic organ protruding from between its legs began to stir. The sorceress was disgusted and afraid, she wanted to tear her eyes away and run back into the hall, but she found herself oddly hypnotized by the blatant display of lust and virility.

Beast Boy never looked at her that way. Raven knew better than most that a divided mind could be so sharply divided as to hold completely different opinions and feelings, but one thought stuck in her head: The Beast obviously lusted after her. Beast Boy could nurse the same thoughts and emotions. The empath wasn't sure what she thought about that possibility, and she forced the thoughts away. They were unimportant anyway. Even if she wanted to, she could never return such feelings.

Pain shot through Raven's fingers as if she'd been stung. She looked down at the slender appendages and remembered tracing them along Starfire's skin. She could feel the texture of her friend's stitches, vivid memories from what felt like a lifetime ago. The last lesson Starfire ever taught Raven came unbidden to her mind. She could feel now. Trigon had no power over her. As if sensing her inner turmoil, The Beast shifted, its large and lean body stretching languidly and allowing the impressive display between its legs to hang free.

Raven shook her head. This was wrong on so many levels. Beast Boy and The Beast were separate beings, and Beast Boy separated himself from this primal creature because it was dangerous. The Beast roared as Raven turned her back, and the sorceress broke into a run. She could hear the carnal predator thundering behind her, she could imagine the warmth of its breath at the back of her neck. Raven lunged for the doorway and phased through it. Once she was outside, Raven glanced at the door. She could hear Beast Boy's animalistic half hammering away at the barrier.

A deep chuckle drifted to Raven's ears, and the gasping demoness glanced up. Slade was walking toward her, his arms swinging freely, his feet barely disturbing the dust on the floor as he passed, a phantom, through the maze of Beast Boy's mind.

"I take it both creatures were in there?" Slade asked casually. Raven gulped.

"The shade won't be a problem," she said.

Slade nodded as if he'd anticipated the answer. Raven slowly got to her feet. The masked man brushed past Raven without glancing at her. He stood before the unmarked door and cocked his head, listening to the muffled pounding from within.

"I had hoped to see for myself," the assassin mused, reaching out to wistfully touch the door. "I've seen the news coverage, and I got a tiny glimpse of it at the tower but…"

Raven grabbed Slade's shoulders and spun him around. She slammed her palms against Slade's chest, forcing the man against the door. Raven glared dangerously into Slade's lonely gray eye. He looked back at her, unfazed.

"Don't you dare! Whatever you're planning, leave that thing out of it. It's dangerous. Beast Boy keeps it locked up for a reason."

With a small feint and lightening reflexes, Slade freed himself from Raven's hold and turned the tables: she cried out as her back slammed against the pristine metal and quickly choked on the outcry when Slade's knee crashed into her stomach. As Raven struggled to draw breath, the armored psychopath casually grabbed her throat and hoisted her from her feet.

"My dear child, you should know by now that you're in no position to give me orders." Raven kicked out with her legs, but Slade used his free arm to bat away her strikes as if they were flies. The man's eye bore into Raven, and his grip tightened around her pale neck.

"Even if I've managed, despite the situation your carelessness put us in, to devise some nefarious plot… there's nothing you can do to stop me. The world is falling apart at the seams, Raven. Starfire is lost – you know that, no matter how guilty Robin's words have made you feel or how many false hopes you've indulged in. Your friend is gone. Forever. Robin will try to save her, he'll try harder than he's ever tried at anything, but he will fail; Starfire will murder him; she will rip his body apart even as he seeks to revive in her the gentle nature that made her easy prey to begin with." Raven was beginning to feel light-headed, but Slade's words cut through the fog in her mind and drew a picture far too clear for her liking.

"Without a way to recharge, Cyborg will eventually run out of power. Without electricity to sustain him, it won't be long before he's defunct and dead. You know he's been the team's anchor ever since this madness started. We've both seen it. He alone still has the moral code and objectivity needed to make the right choice despite hard choices. For whatever reason, Chaos hasn't been able to touch him. But Cyborg's time is limited, bleeding slowly away as his battery is drained for the last time. When that happens, it's just going to leave you, Beast Boy, and me. The three of us need to work together, and we need Beast Boy's full arsenal. The fact that this beast within him is dangerous is the fact that makes it useful."

Raven felt weak. Oxygen-deprivation and the toxic creep of Slade's words were making it hard for her to think. Raven just wanted to sleep. She didn't even realize how Slade had prematurely killed Cyborg and Robin; in her mind, only Slade, Beast Boy, and she remained. Then the real world came crashing back to Raven, effectively shredding Slade's fiction.

With a shrill cry, ebony magic erupted from the sorceress, catching Slade in the chest and throwing him down the hall. The assassin grunted and bounced as he flew away. Raven drew a shuddering breath and closed her eyes. Slade's fiction felt so real. She shivered. Robin had been engaged in a psychological war of attrition with Slade for years now. The brutal cunning of Slade's attacks gave Raven sudden insight into what her leader regularly endured. It was no wonder the Boy Wonder acted so rashly around the man.

Slade picked himself up with dignity, brushing dust from his armor. For a moment, his steely eye locked on Raven. He nodded, imperceptible, a trick of the bland white light that radiated from the walls in Beast Boy's mind, but Raven felt as if her enemy had made a small concession, though what he was conceding to was lost on her.

"I have little interest in the inner workings of Beast Boy's mind, Raven, and I'm sure you share my feelings. We should be going. Now." Slade started down the hall, and Raven followed him. Logically, the sorceress knew there was no earthly way for Slade to know his way through the maze, but the command aura he radiated demanded obedience and servitude. Raven didn't have the energy to resist. Robin had the same presence about him, something vague and ephemeral that designated him a leader. When Robin spoke, people listened. When Robin acted, people followed. It was the same with Slade, but there was a difference between the two that was not lost on Raven.

She followed Robin because she trusted him, believed in him, and loved him.

She followed Slade because she was terrified of him. None of her past interactions with the masked villain prepared Raven fully for the truth of the psychopath. She still wasn't ready for it, even as her mind was consumed by the poison he'd planted in it.

Slade marched ahead of Raven, pausing now and again to read an engraving on a door. The assassin would nod to himself and head out again with new purpose, as if he'd been lost and stumbled upon a sign that pointed him toward more familiar territory. Raven trailed behind him, reading the engravings as she passed.

_Raven_.

She could feel traces of Beast Boy around the door. The fun-loving changeling spent a lot of time thinking about her, not altogether surprising considering they'd lived together for years. Her hand brushed against the handle before Raven knew she'd reached for it. Catching herself, the empath pulled back sharply. She couldn't invade. If Beast Boy wanted her to know his thoughts about her, he'd tell her. She needed to respect his privacy.

The demoness turned away from the door and jumped. Slade had stopped and was staring straight at her. The man's horrifying copper and ebony visage was two feet from her.

"It's tempting, isn't it, Raven?" Slade whispered seductively. "You have so much power, even you don't know the full extent of your abilities. And there's a hunger in you. I can see it. I can feel it. I can taste it. A part of you longs to use that power, wants to have control. Beast Boy's entire mind is laid bare before you. You could take whatever you wanted from it. You could take whatever you wanted from any human mind."

Raven's eyes narrowed. "Don't test me, Slade, or I might give in to that temptation."

He chuckled. It was a dry, dead sound that filled Raven with dread. "That sounded like a threat, and not a very good one. But tell me, where was the denial?"

She felt as if she'd been kicked in the stomach. Raven wanted to gag, but the physical reactions that came with her desire were lacking. Slade was right. Again. She should have denied it; she should have said that there was nothing in her that wanted to abuse her abilities. She should have lied, and in so doing, denied that a part of her was a demon. Evil. She did sometimes feel the urge to reach out for the ultimate power Slade whispered about, but it was a dangerous desire, and it belonged to an immoral creature.

Raven leaned against the wall and sagged down to the floor. Slade watched her progress dispassionately, his deadly gray eye following her to the carpet. A flurry of dust engulfed her when Raven hit the floor. Slade moved toward her, she could hear the light steps of his steel-toed boots. The armored sociopath knelt down to her, reached out, and cupped her chin in his forceful hand. Like everything else about him, his hand felt like it was made of steel. Against her will, Raven was forced to meet Slade's gaze.

"You can no longer hide from what you are," he hissed. "Daddy's little girl is all grown up. Your father has been defeated, but you are still here, and part of you can set things right. The demon inside you knows death, Raven. It knows chaos, but it can also command it. Control it. Create it. As long as you cling to the decrepit ethics and morals that make you a "hero," people will die. People will suffer. You and you alone can save the world from this madness, but you cannot do it as a Titan."

Raven glared at Slade before spitting into his masked face. She didn't see the man's free hand coming, but his blow sent her reeling. The empath tried to push Slade away, but the assassin simply tackled her, rolling across the carpet with her and stopping once his knee was wedged into her stomach. He bore down into Raven's gut hard; the sharp bite of his armor made her wince. Both her arms were trapped, and Slade's face was only a few inches from hers.

"Get off me!" she shouted, struggling against his hold.

"Not until you open your eyes."

"My eyes are open! I've seen what Seth did."

"But you haven't accepted it. Every time you turn a corner, you hope that the world will have righted itself. Every time you turn a corner, you hope you'll wake up. Every time you turn a corner, you're disappointed."

"I know what I see and feel!" Raven tried to buck Slade off her, but the man's muscular frame only shifted. "I've accepted everything I've seen. I know what we're dealing with just as well as you do!"

"Then why don't you act like it? Why do you hesitate to ensure your survival?" Slade snapped. Raven increased her struggling, kicking out with her legs. Slade didn't move. White energy flared to life in Raven's eyes, and the empath opened her mouth.

"Azarath Metrion Zin–" Slade slapped a hand over her mouth, cutting off the incantation. Without thinking, Raven bit into the assassin's hand. At first there was nothing but a dull ache in her teeth, but then the powerful molars of her demon heritage met the metal. Raven tasted blood, and she bit down harder, willing herself to cut straight through Slade's hand. The assassin shouted and jerked away.

"BEAST BOY!"

The cry flew from Raven's lips on instinct, and she felt a sudden jerk travel through her spine, as if an invisible hand had reached into her head and tried to remove the bone. She felt concrete under her and could see red light flickering across the walls. The demoness sat up and looked around, startled. Slade was lying prone on the ground, a massive green Grizzly bearing down upon him, one of its massive paws planted on his armored chest. The bear growled and shifted, moving its weight around and forcing the air from Slade's lungs.

Raven watched, stunned. She hadn't found a way out of Beast Boy's head; he'd found a way to get her out. Slade was gasping on the floor while Beast Boy pressed down on him. Raven opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She wasn't sure what she wanted anymore. Stopping what was about to happen would be the right thing to do; doing nothing was the smart thing to do. Beast Boy and Robin were right: Slade was too crafty a puppeteer to ever play as another's marionette; he was a chess grandmaster who created and used pawns, never served as one.

"Beast Boy," Raven whispered. The faint sound caused the Grizzly bear to turn its head in her direction. Raven gazed at her friend. He was such a strong person, such a good person, and by some strange chance they'd become friends and grown to care about each other. He'd kill Slade in a heartbeat if she said the word. The empath blinked as her vision began to blur, and tears began to blaze trails down the milky contours of her face. The bear turned back to its prey, having seen something in Raven that communicated what she could not bring herself to say.

Slade needed to die.

"Don't!" Raven shouted as Beast Boy lowered his open jaws. Her voice did not act alone. The sorceress turned to see Cyborg coming forward, his sonic cannon armed and ready.

"B, get off him. He's not worth this. Think about what you're doing."

The Grizzly paused and slowly released Slade. The bear began to shift and morph, shrinking in size and transforming in stature until Beast Boy had taken its place. The green boy blinked and threw a bewildered glance to Raven. She nodded.

"Rae, what just happened? I heard you call me, I got Slade off you, and then I thought… I've never wanted to do that before. But I saw the way you were looking at me, and I knew he was plotting something all along and…" A shudder passed through the changeling. "That wasn't me. I'm not like that. I would never do that."

Raven wanted to shut out her friend's voice. He was saying everything she was thinking, and the dual assault was wearing her down. They weren't murderers. Even Robin would never kill Slade on purpose. Raven felt like she was losing herself, but she couldn't retrace her steps and pick up the pieces. Cyborg threw a distasteful look at Slade before crossing to his friends. His sonic cannon withdrew silently.

"What's gotten into you two?" the metallic Titan demanded. "You're acting–"

"Like monsters," Beast Boy supplied, carefully examining his feet. Slade quietly got off the floor and slunk into the shadows. Raven distantly registered his departure, but the demoness couldn't bring herself to care. She looked around at the run-down treatment plant. Everything led up to this – this dripping world of madness, grief, despair, and moral decay. She barely told Beast Boy to stop in time to prevent him from doing something unforgivable. If Cyborg hadn't said anything and she'd waited just a few seconds longer, by inaction, Raven would have turned Beast Boy into a murderer.

"Where's Robin?" she asked. Cyborg and Beast Boy traded quizzical looks before looking around themselves, just to be sure that their leader wasn't in the room. When the two boys had unanimously decided that Robin was nowhere to be found, the panic set in.

"Shit," Cyborg whispered, lifting his arm to his face and activating his communicator. "Rob, where are you?" There was no answer. Raven swallowed past a lump in her throat.

"_Robin will try to save her, he'll try harder than he's ever tried at anything, but he will fail; Starfire will murder him; she will rip his body apart even as he seeks to revive in her the gentle nature that made her easy prey to begin with."_

Slade's words drifted through Raven's head and caused the hairs on her neck to stand on end. The empath reached over and grabbed Beast Boy's communicator, running a sweep for Robin's frequency. He was miles away, following a tracer he'd no doubt planted on Starfire during their fight. The Boy Wonder always thought ahead.

"Damn it, Robin, don't do anything stupid! We need you," Raven snapped into the communicator. The head-strong acrobat didn't respond, but Raven could imagine his response.

"Starfire needs me too," he would say. "She needs all of us." That's what the Boy Wonder would say, and under normal circumstances, he would be right. But nothing was normal anymore; so instead, there was nothing but silence. Cyborg cursed colorfully and glanced at Raven and Beast Boy.

"You two stay here… to protect the survivors," he said before running out into the city. He didn't trust her or Beast Boy at the moment. Raven didn't blame him: she didn't trust herself at the moment either.

ooooo

Raven finished checking on the survivors and walked back out of the basement. Her feet were drenched, and the musk of impotable water hung around her like a noxious perfume. The demoness sighed once she was out of the cement enclosure. It wouldn't be long before the survivors in the basement lost their minds to a different strain of madness: their boredom and fear were palpable. Raven knew Slade had left the plant, but whether to follow Cyborg to Robin or to pursue some other task essential to his machinations, the demoness couldn't say.

The assassin's absence relieved Raven of a great burden. The assassin's absence filled her with dread. Raven shook the thoughts away. Inconsistencies were becoming common-place in the empath's head, and her thoughts were gradually losing both their objectivity and their clarity. Metal creaked above her, and the sorceress glanced up, surrounding her hands in obsidian magic as she did. Beast Boy was perched on one of the pipes, his lithe frame pressed tightly against a support beam. Raven relaxed and rose into the air. She took a seat next to the changeling.

Beast Boy didn't look at her once she landed, but after a few moments, the green elf reached out with his arm and pulled Raven into a one-armed hug. She was shocked by the physical contact but didn't fight it. As much as Raven hated to admit it, she wanted to have some physical contact. What had happened earlier still haunted her. The brief physical contact reminded her that Beast Boy had experienced the exact same thing she had and been just as scared by it. The empath closed her eyes and leaned into Beast Boy's warmth, nestling against the boy until she found a comfortable spot on his shoulder to use as a pillow.

Never in her whole life had Raven felt so unbelievably lost. With Trigon, she'd known what to expect. She knew her father's coming would herald her death and the death of all things. This world had no script. Raven didn't know what to expect, but she didn't like where things seemed to be heading. Beast Boy's hand started to gently stroke Raven's hair, and the sorceress sighed contently. He obviously needed the physical reassurance too.

Somehow Raven found her thoughts travelling to her encounter with The Beast. She didn't know what to think about the possibility of Beast Boy and her. He was nice. He was cute. He was loud. He was always bothering her. He was smart. He was funny (when he wasn't trying too hard). He was her friend, her family. Raven had a hard time seeing him as more, but her emotions lingered on The Beast's well-endowed nature and wondered, briefly, causing blood to rush to her pale cheeks, if Beast Boy was similarly blessed.

"Rae," Beast Boy whispered after what felt like hours. He stopped stroking her hair as he spoke, and the empath's scalp suddenly felt cold without his touch. "This is really uncomfortable. Can we get down from here?"

A portal opened at a command from Raven, and both distraught teenagers sunk into it. The portal opened on the floor of the treatment plant, and Raven nestled deeper into Beast Boy's warmth. It felt good to be in his arms, she wouldn't bother denying that. The lean muscles were firm and full of pent-up energy. The changeling lowered himself to the floor so he was lying on his back, and Raven unconsciously followed him to the earth. Beast Boy's arms encircled her waist, and Raven became aware of a potent emotion pouring from her friend: a lust that mirrored her own thoughts. It hammered against Raven's mind and made her feel dizzy with its sheer ferocity.

"Stop it," she mumbled into his shoulder. She didn't want to move.

"Stop what?" Beast Boy asked.

"You're only feeling this way because you're afraid and don't want to be alone."

"You're wrong."

"No. I'm not," Raven said. "Under normal circumstances, you'd never be interested in me." Beast Boy's hold around her waist tightened, and Raven sighed at the warmth that cascaded from his limbs.

"Let's pretend you're right – which you're not," Beast Boy said after a while. "Let's say that you know what you're talking about, and I'm only feeling this way because of our situation. I'm depressed and afraid and don't want to be alone. Do you?"

"No," Raven whispered, her eyes still closed. She was so comfortable, she felt so needed; for the first time since Raven woke up from her face-off with Seth, she knew exactly what she wanted. "But what you're talking about–"

Beast Boy interrupted her. "How can you know what I'm talking about? I don't even know what I'm talking about, Raven. Listen. We're friends. I trust you with my life. I'm not saying I love you. I'm not saying we should date – look around: what would be the point?" Raven could feel years of emotional resolve crumbling away. Beast Boy was emitting so much sincerity, so much nervousness, so much fear, so much lust. The deluge of emotions washed over Raven, mingled with her secret desires, and spirited away her inhibitions.

"What I'm saying," Beast Boy continued, "is that I don't want to feel alone right now. I don't want to face this madness. I want to forget, Rae."

The demoness lifted her head and opened her eyes. Acting on impulse, she leaned forward and captured Beast Boy's lips. It was not a gentle first kiss. Rather it was a kiss filled with the demand that he stop talking. Raven's lips did not flutter against Beast Boy's in feeble flirtation nor did she probe against his mouth by way of asking permission; the empath barged into Beast Boy's mouth, causing a flood of surprise to spill from the changeling. She drank in the emotion, backing out long enough to bite his lower lip (perhaps harder than she meant to, for she drew blood) before their tongues engaged in another fierce bout.

Raven rolled on top of Beast Boy and broke the kiss, breathing deeply. She gazed hungrily into the green boy's eyes, and he stared back at her, pupils dilated. Black energy was causing the pipes above them to rattle. One of Beast Boy's hands found purchase on Raven's left breast and started to gently knead the firm flesh through her leotard.

She wasn't prepared for the physical sensation and growled low in her throat. She could feel her body reacting to Beast Boy's touch, preparing her for the next step as her excitement mounted. She moaned louder as her right breast began to receive the same treatment. Pleasure pulsed through Raven's body, and she lowered her mouth to Beast Boy's neck, kissing and sucking on the green flesh. She nibbled on Beast Boy's left earlobe and gasped as she felt his length press against her thigh. Black energy had consumed the building, but none of the overhanging pipes did more than rattle a feeble applause for the passionate performance unfolding for their voyeuristic pleasure.

She was actually doing this. Raven had never even kissed a boy before a few minutes ago, and now she was preparing for the ultimate physical and emotional coupling. The inhibitions she held so dear for so many years failed to break through the lust-induced fog. Nothing seemed to matter but the present: the feeling of Beast Boy's hands on her body, the heat of his masculinity as it tried desperately to break free of its physical confines, her overpowering desire to hear Beast Boy cry out as she was.

Raven caught Beast Boy's lips for another kiss, bruising the sensitive flesh in her conquest. Her hands trailed down the changeling's body, stopping to fumble awkwardly with his belt. The metal fell away with a gentle click. She started tugging at the bottom of Beast Boy's uniform, desperate to finish these trivial proceedings.

Her leotard slipped from her shoulders, and Raven realized Beast Boy had been trying to remove the fabric. When the cool air touched her skin, Raven's nipples hardened even more, though she hadn't thought that possible. She wanted to be touched, and she grabbed the back of Beast Boy's head, struggling with his pants with her free hand. The green boy eagerly sucked a nipple into his mouth. Raven closed her eyes as the sensuous pleasure of Beast Boy's suckling flowed through her. The sensation changed as Beast Boy switched from long, gentle pulls to frantic nibbling.

Raven gasped and pushed his head away. That was too much teasing. She needed Beast Boy – all of him. The sorceress jerked the changeling's pants down and grabbed for his blood-engorged organ. Her fingers closed around his concealed girth, and Beast Boy yelped as if in pain. Raven's empathetic powers told her otherwise. She began to massage Beast Boy through his boxers, marveling at the feel of him under her nimble fingers.

"Have you ever done anything like this before?" Beast Boy asked as Raven began to pull at his boxers. She smirked at her delirious friend.

"Emotions, remember?"

Beast Boy chuckled. "Right. Sorry. I'm just a little nervous, I guess. This is a first time for me too." That made Raven stop. She'd always assumed Beast Boy and Terra had messed around. Her body cried out in protest as she took her hand from Beast Boy's underwear.

"It is? I always thought you and Terra…"

He shook his head. "Don't laugh… I was… I was saving myself."

Raven sat back and looked at Beast Boy. His hair was mused and his eyes were glazed and spending most of their time focused on her still puffy areoles.

"Why now?" she whispered. Beast Boy's eyes traveled up to Raven's face, and for the first time she saw the depths of his desperation. He tried to smile, but his muscles refused to do more than contort awkwardly.

"Not much point anymore, is there? This is it. The end of the world. There's no… What are you doing?" Beast Boy asked. Raven had gotten to her feet and was busy righting her leotard. The empath didn't look at Beast Boy as she dressed. Her body was crying out for release, but she ignored the heat between her legs and the throbbing in her nipples.

"You can't give up like that," Raven said, kicking Beast Boy's pants to him. "This is not the end."

"Look around you, Rae!" Beast Boy scoffed. She glared at Beast Boy and tried to keep her eyes focused on his face and not the pulsing appendage between his legs.

"The end came once and we stopped it. I've lived my whole life knowing that I was never supposed to live this long. For eighteen years I knew my life had an expiration date, and I knew how and when and why! You can't give up! I won't let you. Not with me. Not like this." There was a pregnant pause. "Put your pants on, Beast Boy."

The changeling slowly got back into his clothes. He kept trying to make eye contact with Raven, but the sorceress wouldn't meet his gaze. She didn't think she'd be able to look him in the eyes without jumping him. Raven knew now what she thought about Beast Boy and her. She wouldn't insult Starfire's memory by denying her emotions. She wanted him just as badly as he did her. She felt a headache coming on and stalked away, taking refuge in the belly of the treatment plant as the pipes overhead were released from their black envelopes.

ooooo

Raven paced up and down the length of the building, muttering under her breath. Her emotions conspired against the empath; she wanted nothing more at the moment than to run back to Beast Boy, tear off his clothes, and accept the end of the world with a crescendo of ecstatic cries. The hopelessness of her situation sat in the pit of Raven's stomach and chewed away at her life force, draining her like a parasite. Trying to escape the crushing reality around her was tempting.

She took a steadying breath and called upon the teachings of Azar. She was master of her emotions, not the other way around, and Seth's apocalyptic world hadn't broken her yet. And Raven wouldn't allow Beast Boy to break. The changeling had saved himself for years despite the romantic and sexual trysts that were available to him. The green boy might have been willing to admit defeat, but Raven wouldn't allow him to capitulate. There was still hope somewhere in Seth's lawless world.

Raven could feel the hope, it was a faint and feeble emotion that pulsed weakly under the chaos in the air. She could feel the hope, but she couldn't discern its source. Despite the madness, despite the death, despite the loss and the pain and the decay, Raven couldn't allow herself to give up. She'd only recently reclaimed her life as her own. Seth wouldn't take that from her. Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy were still with her. As long as they were together, they'd figure something out. The alternative was unacceptable.

"This is not the end," Raven said to herself. It helped to hear the words aloud, and the demoness drew courage from the verbalization. "We can beat you, Seth. I can beat you. I don't know how we'll do it, but you won't win. You can't." She could feel the malignant Entity inside her, taunting with his presence. He didn't speak, and this emboldened Raven. His power was limited.

"If it's not the end, what is it, Rae?" Beast Boy asked from behind her. Raven hadn't noticed the changeling's approach, and she smiled at the green boy when he spoke.

"A challenge. We've dealt with this type of thing before, BB." The affectionate nickname rolled off Raven's tongue before she had time to think about it. Only the guys and the personification of her restrained happiness ever used that name.

"No we haven't. Everybody's gone crazy. Even the people who haven't technically gone crazy are going crazy! I almost killed Slade. You almost let me. You tried to kill Starfire, and you've murdered more civilians than I can count. It's wrong, Raven! It's sickening and immoral and I almost did it too!"

"You think I don't know the difference between right and wrong?" Raven snapped.

"I thought you did. Now I'm not so sure," Beast Boy replied. He paled. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded." Raven opened her mouth to shout at him, but no words could express her pain.

"How did you mean it, Beast Boy?" Raven demanded.

"I don't know. Raven, I'm sorry. I just said the first thing that came to my mind."

The sorceress shook her head sadly. All the doubts and confusion that had piled up over the past days crashed down on her, stifling her with a mass of self-loathing. She didn't kill because she wanted to; she killed because there was no other option. There was no saving the people who had lost their minds to Seth's influence. The demoness bit her lower lip. Seth's power was limited. She knew that. It was possible that, just like the toxin that almost killed Robin, the true damage done by the chaotic Entity wasn't as extreme as appearances first indicated.

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to focus on her center. What she found there repulsed Raven, and she drew back sharply, opening her eyes and staring at Beast Boy. The changeling took a quick step forward, his features covered by a mask of concern. Maybe Slade was right. Maybe she couldn't set the world right as a Titan, but the darkness at her core, the kernel planted by Trigon at the moment of her conception, nurtured by chaos, fed by desperation, and tended to by Slade made Raven realize what she had the potential to become – what she was slowly becoming. Death would be better than losing herself to that dark taint. The sorceress stepped into Beast Boy's embrace and locked her arms around him.

"We can beat this," she whispered against his chest. Beast Boy didn't respond, and Raven tilted her head up to peck the boy on the cheek. "We have each other, we have our friends. The rest will come as it comes."

The force of her epiphany made her feel giddy. Raven had been walking blindly down a dark road without an end in sight, but now her blinders were off and she could see everything around her. Desperation bred chaos. In her own way, Raven had been adding to the madness around her. The empath could feel it now, and she shuddered privately at the realization that her actions had impacted her friends. Raven's unyielding pessimism has been eroding the hopes of those around her.

Beast Boy broke the embrace and shook his head. Raven could feel conflicting emotions rolling off the changeling, and she smiled fondly at the familiar depression and doubt. Beast Boy noticed Raven smiling at him, and he frowned.

"Do you honestly think we can fix this, Raven?"

The sorceress nodded, her grin widening. She was fully prepared to lie to Beast Boy in order to bolster his confidence, but the words that left her mouth were drawn straight from her heart and left unfiltered. "I do. It won't be easy, but we can and will fix this."

The green elf's expression lit up at her declaration, and Raven felt the warmth of true happiness flow over her. It was an alien feeling in the chaotic world around them, but it reminded Raven of the world that lay just under the surface, the dream-world Slade spoke so scornfully of, waiting to be restored. Raven felt herself squeezed in the middle of a nightmare and a dream, and she wanted the dream. Fool's hope or not, Raven didn't want to be Seth's battery.

Beast Boy's communicator was shrouded in ebony magic, and it floated to Raven's outstretched hand. The demoness could feel the lingering chaos battering against her mental defenses, but she refused to break. The poison lurking in her veins and hiding in the recesses of her mind could not be allowed to control her.

"Raven calling Robin. Where are you? You're going to need some help with Starfire once you find her."

"You stay away from Starfire, Raven!" Robin snapped back immediately. The empath flinched at the steel in her leader's voice. Beast Boy glanced at her, but Raven was careful to keep her face frozen in a neutral mask.

"I want to help you, Robin," she said at length. "Starfire's not going to come with us easily… I want my friend back." There was a long pause over the communicator.

"The residential district, block B7."

"Beast Boy and I will be there soon," Raven said, handing the communicator back to its owner. The green boy waved feebly to Robin before cutting the connection and slipping the yellow and black disk into his belt.

"Can we walk instead of using the magic teleportation thing?" he asked. Raven chuckled, knowing very well how much the changeling hated the frigid touch of her powers. He'd have to get over that quickly if they were going to be getting physical; Raven knew her powers would envelop him just like they had Starfire. Raven froze when she realized what she'd been thinking.

Beast Boy seemed to read something in her expression, because the young jokester became suddenly very serious. "I'd like to talk to you about earlier. To apologize. That was a really bad idea, and I just wanted to make sure everything was still okay between us."

Raven started walking, and Beast Boy fell into step beside her.

"I don't want things to be awkward or anything," he was saying. "I wasn't thinking straight–"

Raven arched a delicate eyebrow at her friend. "You seemed to be thinking pretty straight," she muttered, recalling all too clearly the feel of Beast Boy's arousal. She hadn't meant to be heard, but the changeling blushed and lapsed into a coughing fit. Raven remembered the changeling's heightened hearing and started laughing.

"It isn't awkward, Beast Boy," she sighed. "I don't regret it, we both wanted it, and I learned something important from it. Let's just make sure that next time, we're doing it for the right reasons."

"Next time?" Beast Boy asked, his voice cracking.

"Assuming you want to," Raven amended quickly, unsure of her friend's true thoughts or feelings. She could feel worry from him, so maybe he wasn't interested. She could feel lust, so maybe he was but didn't want to hurt her or make her feel used. She could feel hope, so maybe he was just confused. Raven drew into herself, uncomfortable with the mixed signals Beast Boy was emitting.

"We'll deal with next time when it gets here," Beast Boy said finally. Raven nodded, content with the answer.

They walked out into the streets together, and Raven could feel her confidence eroding at the sight of gutted buildings and shattered streets. Bodies lay strewn across the rubble, and the demoness knew for a fact that there were crumpled bodies lying somewhere in Jump City because of her. It was a horrifying and humbling feeling, this awareness of how frail life truly was. She shook her head. She'd made mistakes. She wasn't going to make anymore.

"Rae, you coming?" Beast Boy said, turning back when he realized Raven wasn't following her. She nodded and set off for Robin, for Cyborg, for Starfire, and for a way to reunite and resemble the fractured pieces of her home.

ooooo

Seth fumed at the scene. He could feel his power slipping away slowly, and the corpulent man cursed colorfully, running through every vile expression in his arsenal. He expelled every curse ever created, and still anger seethed inside him, eating him up as he saw his hard work undone. Raven and the Teen Titans would have a hard time defeating him, especially without finding a way to attach him physically, something that hadn't been successfully completed in millennia, but the fact that they were putting up such resistance made him nervous. When Seth was nervous, he got angry.

The beefy Entity rubbed his hands together and tossed a handful of copper sand at the Basin. The grains crackled and fizzed, intercepted by Temple's barriers. Seth let loose another string of profanity.

"You have an impressive vocabulary." Seth spun around instantly. He knew that voice. Slade Wilson was standing behind him, twirling an ornate marble talisman between his fingers. The stone was bright and well-polished; the center of the talisman bore a familiar rune – the mark of Death, Morana's signature. The man tossed the talisman into the air and caught it carelessly.

"It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Seth. I've heard so much about you. Morana always spoke most highly of you." The Entity of Chaos narrowed his eyes. Slade was dangerous. The man's mind was a steel trap, and Seth knew he couldn't keep up with it. Only one Entity could keep up with the psychopath, and the woman responsible for Slade's outstanding intellect was never inclined to do Seth favors.

"You've redecorated since the last time I was here," Slade remarked dryly.

"The last time you were here, you were dead. Your spirit supplied you with a setting so it wouldn't be overwhelmed. Nothing's changed. But you already know this – or at the very least guessed it. Let's not waste time with trivialities, Slade. What are you doing here?"

Slade was quiet for a time, silently tossing the talisman that granted him access to the room into the air. Seth had no idea how the man acquired it. He knew for a fact that Morana would never lose such a powerful trinket. Finally, Slade broke his silence.

"I have a proposition for you, Seth. One I think it would serve you well to hear." Seth inclined his head in acknowledgement. "One thing first: my dealings with intedimensional powers in the past have ended badly for me. I'm going to need a little protection." Slade pocketed Morana's medallion and held out his hand. "I'll require your mark."

"I'll need to hear what you have to say first," Seth growled.

"No. It doesn't work like that. Without my help, you will lose. Plain and simple. With my help, you will get everything you want from my old dimension and more."

Bronze energy flared to life in Seth's hand, and he chucked the rune at Slade. The assassin caught the marble artifact deftly and turned it over in his hands, inspecting it carefully to ensure its authenticity. Satisfied, Slade pocketed the mark of Chaos.

"Here's what I propose…"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Parts of this chapter absolutely refused to be written! Seriously, we're talking about an uphill battle on a muddy slope during a torrential downpour. That said, I'm very happy with the way it all turned out. I hope everybody had a good time. If you did, if you didn't, I'd love to know what worked for you and what could use improvement. I'll see you all for chapter 8, but in the meantime, have fun.

P.S. There have been some questions about the origin of the Entities. It's a concept modeled off Greek mythology where various Gods would use humans as toys for their own ends and amusement. The names and personalities are mine. :-)


	8. Chapter 8

Wow! You're all awesome. Seriously, the feedback I'm getting is amazing; I love writing for you guys. The fact that this story is so well-liked makes me giddy. I want to apologize for the long pauses between updates. I know it drives me up the wall when a story I like isn't updated, but I can't actually make any promises about future promptness. Anyway, let's get onto the good stuff.

* * *

"When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil." ~Max Lerner (1902-1992)

**Darkness Calls: Chapter 8**

Beast Boy and Raven walked through the streets warily. The wailing in the air echoed in Raven's ears and left her feeling nauseous and hollow. She'd gone too long without eating. What food was available had been distributed and consumed long ago. She'd had been running on adrenaline alone. Raven's eyes passed over the bodies in the streets, wasted flesh rotting as time passed. Revolted, she pushed the thought away. It made her sick to even think about it. Her stomach growled in protest.

"You're hungry too?" Beast Boy laughed good-naturedly. "I'm starving!" The changeling glanced over his shoulder and caught the look on Raven's face. He frowned. Then realization washed over his face and he shuddered. Until that moment, the green boy never understood how deeply ingrained Raven's demon heritage was.

A painful silence descended between the vegan and the demoness. They were saved by Beast Boy's communicator; the black and yellow device started chiming its familiar tune. The changeling grabbed the communicator and flipped it open.

"What's up, Robin?"

"Are you and Raven with Cyborg? I can't reach him on his communicator," Robin said. Raven felt her stomach sink into her feet. The metallic Titan had gone after Robin over two hours ago. He should have caught up with their leader by now. Beast Boy glanced nervously at Raven before answering.

"Cyborg left the plant to go after you. He told Rae and me to stay behind… to guard the survivors. We haven't heard anything from him since he left. He was kind of mad at us." Raven moved to stand behind Beast Boy so Robin could see her. The Boy Wonder looked horrible; even behind the veil of his mask, he couldn't hide his exhaustion.

"Why did you let Cyborg leave alone?" Robin demanded, worrying beginning to creep into his voice.

"He didn't exactly give us a choice," Raven said dryly. "Slade and I went into Beast Boy's mind to make sure he would wake up in control of himself. He did, but Slade and the two of us got into a fight that could have ended very badly without Cyborg's intervention."

"Raven, I don't understand what you're trying to say."

Beast Boy groaned. "She's saying we almost killed Slade, and Cyborg was really mad and afraid and wanted to get away from us. We don't know where he is, we haven't heard from him in hours."

The Boy Wonder frowned in concentration. He was perched atop a crumbling chimney somewhere, and Raven could hear the loose bricks shift under his weight. The young acrobat cursed softly. Cyborg was missing. Raven could follow her leader's thoughts as they ran over the choices available to him. He wanted to find Starfire desperately, but he had a tracer on her. Cyborg, on the other hand, was missing and could be anywhere.

"Is Slade back at the plant?" Robin asked, trying for more time. Raven frowned and locked eyes with her leader.

"The thing is, Robin, we haven't seen Slade in hours either," she whispered. Robin froze and his thoughts started running down a different track. Slade and Cyborg were both unaccounted for. Knowing Slade as he did, Robin didn't like that fact at all.

"Did Slade do anything in Beast Boy's mind?" Robin asked slowly. Beast Boy shrugged. The changeling had no clue what had happened in his head, though the idea that both Raven and Slade had been wandering the corridors of his mind unchecked made him uneasy.

"He wanted to see The Beast," Raven supplied. "Beast Boy has it locked away safely. Slade wanted to see it. He said something about…" Raven trailed off as Slade's fiction came creeping back to her. It felt so real, and she struggled to focus on the kernel of hope she'd grabbed hold of. Like a flame in a gale, it was fast losing strength.

"Raven, Raven!" The demoness glanced up to see Robin's concerned face staring at her over the communicator. Beast Boy was poking her shoulder intermittently. She'd spaced out.

"Are you alright?" Robin asked. She didn't know how to answer and batted Beast Boy's hand aside instead.

"Slade and I talked for a while. He wanted to see The Beast; he said it would be useful." The empath could feel horror washing off Beast Boy, and she spared him a small smile. She shook her head and patted his arm, watching as her friend slowly relaxed.

"We need to find Cyborg," Robin said. "I don't like that we've lost track of Slade. I told you, he's too dangerous to manipulate!"

Raven scowled. She knew that now. Berating her for past mistakes wouldn't change anything. Slade couldn't be controlled: it took Raven a while to figure it out; it took her personal experience and a near disaster; but the empath knew Slade was beyond her ability to manipulate or anticipate.

"We shouldn't waste time," she droned. Raven floated into the air and closed her eyes. Chaos battered against her, but the sorceress held on tightly to the grain of hope she'd found. She clutched it in her hands and drew it to her bosom for protection. She focused on her center, and an ebony raven shot from her body, flying swiftly over the city and wrapping Robin in its massive wings before travelling back to its source. Raven opened her eyes and floated back to the ground as Robin landed next to Beast Boy.

"I thought you couldn't use your powers too much," Robin remarked with a grim countenance. "You said it gave Seth too much access to you."

"He doesn't have control of me, if that's what you're worried about," Raven sighed. "I learned how to deal with the chaos. I wasn't myself for a while. Now I'm back."

Robin nodded skeptically. "Well, if that's the case, it's good to have you back. We missed you."

"You don't believe me."

"Not yet." The steel in Robin's voice made her cringe. He had good reason to doubt her, but Raven couldn't help but feel hurt. Robin always trusted her, even when she hadn't earned and didn't deserve the trust. His lack of faith struck her more forcefully than any physical blow could have. Beast Boy threw Raven an understanding glance behind Robin's back, but when the Boy Wonder turned, the green boy wiped the expression quickly from his face.

"What happened to your lip, Beast Boy?" The changeling reached up to his lower lip and drew his gloved fingers away. He was still bleeding from where Raven bit him. He chuckled.

"I guess Slade hit me harder than I thought," he lied easily. Had Robin turned around, he would have caught the violent blush that had erupted on Raven's face. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, but nothing could dispel the red tint that had invaded her alabaster skin.

ooooo

The three Titans started forward again, following the path Robin had taken toward Starfire, assuming that Cyborg had followed Robin's communicator after leaving the plant. They walked for two miles in tense silence before it became painfully obvious that something was horribly wrong: there were large dents in the streets, and chunks had been ripped from buildings in a fashion that did not compliment the general decay sown by Seth's influence. These were fresh wounds. One building was smoking partially from an explosion. Beast Boy ran to the demolished structure and found evidence of Cyborg's shoulder-mounted rockets, a weapon he rarely employed and one that used up an inordinate amount of power. Raven felt her skin tingling familiarly, but she couldn't think of what might cause the familiar sensation.

A fight had taken place here. The rubble was smoking; the few corpses not torn apart by explosions were charred black. Walls were scarred by blasts of Cyborg's sonic cannon. Signs of all the cybernetic heroes most energy expensive weapons were prevalent. To Raven, it looked like her friend had been intentionally trying to run down his battery.

Suddenly the familiar tingling made sense.

The sorceress shot into the air and flew until she had a good view of the ground below and her friends had been reduced to invisible specks. When Raven looked down (she hesitated to do so, afraid of what she might see) the demoness could clearly see a pattern formed in the rubble. Cyborg had been trying to run down his battery, and he'd been doing it because Raven had been wrong.

Slade hadn't been after her.

He hadn't been after Beast Boy or The Beast.

The masked genius had been after Cyborg the entire time.

It was a well known fact amongst the Titans that Slade had acquired somehow in the course of his dark and twisted life some elementary knowledge of magic. The teleportation circle in the middle of central Jump City only served to reinforce that unwelcome fact. Raven recognized the spell, a crude, uneconomical, and obscenely powerful method employed by the ancient Greeks, and she knew such a spell could only be activated by a massive power source. Raven always used her own magic, but it would be just as easy to use electricity to trigger the spell.

Cyborg had tried to run his battery low enough to be useless to Slade.

The tingling sensation Raven felt was the residual magic. Slade had used Cyborg to activate the circle. The reason Robin couldn't reach the metallic Titan was because his battery had been drained. She felt sorrow seize her throat, and Raven struggled to draw breath. Tears flowed easily down her cheeks, collecting at the point of her delicate chin before beginning their long descent to the ground below.

"No, no, no," she muttered. She could already feel the weight of Cyborg's loss on her soul. She growled and shouted wordlessly. She hadn't seen a body; Cyborg could be fine. Against her will, Raven remembered the words Slade had whispered.

"He's been the team's anchor ever since this madness started."

Raven screamed, letting her voice rise until it delivered one thunderous blow after another to the crimson sky above her. Nobody would hear her at this altitude, and Raven shouted louder, willing herself to be heard by any and all still living on this cursed planet. If Cyborg's battery was drained – truly drained – then he was dead.

The empath darted back to the earth. She scanned the rubble as she descended. She needed to see Cyborg. Maybe he was still alive. The magic in the air told Raven that a massive amount of power had been spent to form an interdimensional rift, but maybe Cyborg still had a little juice left. If there was any energy left in the cybernetic Titan, it would be a limited amount. They needed to find him quickly. Beast Boy and Robin were still where Raven left them. The boys broke off their conversation when they saw Raven approaching.

"Slade was here. He set up a teleportation circle and used Cyborg as a power source. If we don't find him soon, he'll die."

Beast Boy gulped. "Leave it to me," he said. The changeling morphed into a bloodhound and started sniffing, already familiar with Cyborg's scent because of their long years living and working together. Robin watched the green dog with crossed arms. The Boy Wonder was scowling, but his emotions were carefully guarded and his thoughts left unspoken. Raven tried to catch the boy's eye, she tried to read the acrobat using his body and face, but as was often the case, she was unsuccessful.

"Beast Boy thinks if something bad happened to Cyborg, it'll have been your and his fault," Robin said.

"He'd be right." Her chest tightened, but the empath kept her emotions in check and her voice and face unreadable. "But we might be able to help him if we find him. No amount of blame is going to change the facts, so we need to focus on the here and now."

"You should tell him that."

"I'm telling you that, Robin," Raven snapped. "I've made some mistakes. I regret them. But you need to trust me or we'll never make it through this. Starfire and Cyborg both need our help. You said as long as we stuck together, we'd make it. I'm here. I'm back. You have to trust me."

The Boy Wonder scoffed. The perpetual chorus of howls picked up, and the acrobat's cape fluttered limply in the stale air. Raven moved in front of her leader and met his masked gaze. The blank white eyes of the boy's mask revealed nothing, but Raven recognized the set of his jaw.

"You already feel like we'll never make it through this. Why does whether or not I trust you matter, Raven? Why do you give a damn? We're all living on borrowed time, according to you. You've become nothing but an executioner."

"I'm trying to fix that," Raven said, her voice dry and dead, firmly rooted in the monotone she'd perfected so long ago.

"Nothing you do is going to bring those people back to life!" Robin exploded. He drew back his fist and for a horrifying moment, Raven thought he was going to strike her. Instead the young acrobat turned away. Beast Boy was twenty yards down the road. Raven knew the green boy was still in earshot, but that was because of his heightened senses, and she doubted Robin remembered that particular ability in his present state.

"You killed them, Raven. You've killed women. Children. Men. Innocent people! You gave up on them; you gave up on Starfire; you gave up on everybody and everything!" Robin rounded on Raven and glared at her. The demoness took a deep breath.

The truth of his words reminded Raven of the horrible mistakes she'd made, the horrible decisions she'd made. The world around her was so desolate. The empath had a difficult time remembering what it felt like to have a fresh breeze caress her skin. The sound of a gurgling brook had faded in her memory. The sky had burned red into her eyes until she could imagine it being no other color. Raven drew into herself and grabbed onto the tiny sliver of hope that had become her beacon. She still couldn't tell where it was coming from, but its presence alone helped still the turbulent emotional seas within her. It helped distract her from her guilt and her fear. Yes, she'd killed people. Yes, Cyborg had been used to activate a teleportation spell. But somewhere in the madness there was hope.

"I know. And I can regret their loss, Robin. I made mistakes. Unforgivable mistakes. I can't take them back. But I can try and fix this. I know now that I was wrong. I feel like we can fight back." She sighed. "But I can't do it without you. I need you, Robin. We all do."

Robin opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a shrill bird call. Raven blinked as the crow's call sounded first once, then twice. It was shrill and panicked. Without another word, Robin started running through the rubble, bounding over crumbled walls. Raven was close behind the young acrobat.

Beast Boy was sitting despondently on the belly of an overturned minivan when his friends reached him. The green boy was staring woefully at the ground in front of him with tears running down his cheeks, and it didn't take Raven long to figure out why. Signs of battle were more prevalent here than anywhere else they'd been, and bits of metal were strewn about, accented here and there with Cyborg's familiar blue circuitry. The man in question was lying with his face toward the sky, his cybernetic eye dull and lifeless and his mouth agape in a long since silenced scream.

A fist closed around Raven's heart and squeezed. She gasped and fell from the sky. Cyborg's chest plate was missing; the metal had been ripped away, revealing the extensive maze of circuitry beneath. His power cell, positioned to the right and slightly below where a human heart would be, was silent. Raven knew the cell should have been crackling with electricity. It should have been giving her a tan from this distance and been too bright to look at. Instead it was dark and cold.

"No," Robin whispered. He took a few tentative steps toward his friend. Stone crunched under his feet, and a dull metallic clang sounded when the boy accidentally kicked an amputated shoulder rocket that had been buried under the rubble. The acrobat shook his head, and Raven turned away quickly when she saw a tear slide down her leader's face. It was a single tear, barely noticeable, but seeing Robin emotionally vulnerable felt sacrilegious. That was a privilege and a burden reserved for Starfire and Starfire alone.

"Cy, buddy, wake up," Beast Boy pleaded, his voice choked. "You have to wake up."

"What about his emergency battery?" Raven whispered. "The last time Cyborg ran out of power, he was able to run on a reserve battery for a while."

"His power cell was still intact then," Robin said.

Raven nodded without hearing. Cyborg couldn't be gone. He couldn't be dead. He was her older brother. The empath loved Cyborg, and refused to accept what her eyes were showing her. Cyborg had been undercover in HIVE Academy; he'd faced off against Brother Blood; he'd survived the accident that killed his mother; he'd fought alongside the other Titans to force back the apocalypse. He couldn't be dead.

"Beast Boy, you've done repairs on Cyborg before," Raven whispered.

"Yeah, when he was shouting instructions at me. Even then, I messed up," Beast Boy mumbled. Raven grabbed Beast Boy's hands, and the startled changeling looked up.

"You have to try."

The green boy frowned. Raven could see the doubt swirling in his eyes. He didn't know anything about machines. More often than not, Beast Boy broke machines. Raven knew the green boy had been staying up late at night ever since the alien tofu fiasco looking through the tower's mainframe computer for schematics in an attempt to better himself, but as always, the changeling lacked confidence in himself. She squeezed Beast Boy's hands gently, and he grunted his consent. Cyborg needed him.

"I'll give it a try," he said before jumping down onto the street.

"Don't bother."

All three Titans spun around at the sound of Slade's voice. The assassin was leaning nonchalantly against a nearby wall, his arms hanging limply at his sides while he tossed a large stone coin into the air. Robin drew a birderang from his belt and hurled the projectile at Slade. With a flash of bronze light and a tremendous clash of metal on metal, the weapon was hurled to the side. It hadn't touched Slade. The sociopath chuckled and flipped the coin in his hand again.

Beast Boy roared and charged. The changeling morphed into a rhinoceros and sped toward the assassin. Slade jumped above Beast Boy, grabbed hold of his horn, and did an effortless handspring. Beast Boy crashed into the brick wall Slade had been leaning on. The stone crumbled around the dazed mammal.

Robin tossed another birderang, and Slade ducked underneath the weapon. Robin hurled himself at Slade, angry tears coursing from his eyes as he punched and kicked. Slade anticipated every attack. He did a back flip over a roundhouse kick and snapped his foot up into Robin's jaw. The murderer caught a jab and twisted, using Judo to bodily toss Robin. The Boy Wonder righted himself and continued the onslaught, receiving blow after blow as his injured leg, his fatigue, and his emotions eroded his fighting technique and allowed Slade to score easy blows.

Slade seemed to be having fun with the whole situation. Raven's eyes glowed white, and an ebony raven shot from her body. The massive bird swooped down on Slade, and the assassin turned and ran, diving out of the way as the magical bird sailed toward him. A massive green mountain goat slammed into the man's side, its large horns ringing against his armor. Slade was sent sprawling.

He picked himself up immediately and did a cartwheel away from another aerial assault from Raven's embodied soul. Slade grabbed one of Robin's discarded birderangs from the ground and sent it toward Raven. The projectile struck her in the head, and the black bird vanished as she fell to the ground with a shriek.

Robin tackled Slade from behind, wrapping his arms around the man's neck in a vicious choke hold. His legs locked around Slade's waist and forced him to his knees with a series of fortunately placed kicks. Raven opened her eyes and blinked away the blood flowing from her forehead into her field of vision. Beast Boy was at her side. His eyes were red and puffy and a nasty, feral snarl was pasted where his mouth should have been.

There was a lull in the fight as Slade struggled to breath. Robin was gasping on top of his enemy, his injured leg irritated by the fight.

"Give me one good reason."

"Cyborg's death was a necessary trade," Slade said. Despite his current position, the sociopath managed to sound cocky.

"A trade? For what?" Beast Boy snapped. "All I see here is you. You killed him!" Raven saw the changeling's pupils dilate. His canines elongated.

"Yes. I killed him," Slade replied airily, as if he were admitting to a crime no greater than forgetting to pick up milk at the grocery store. "Cyborg's power cell was the only source of power great enough to break through the dimensional barriers that have been erected to isolate this madness."

"A trade for what?" Robin demanded. Slade inclined his head toward a marble coin, the same one that he'd been flipping before Beast Boy attacked him. He'd dropped it at some point in the brawl.

"You killed Cyborg for a coin?" Robin fumed. The Boy Wonder's muscles strained as he tightened his hold around Slade's neck. Slade nodded. Raven walked over to the coin and picked it up. It was nothing remarkable, just a stone circle with light engravings in its ancient surface. Beast Boy's lucky penny was more interesting to look at. Raven felt her skin tingling where she touched the stone.

"It's a medallion, Robin. Not a coin. The Mark of Chaos. It's the only way to undo what Seth did. It's a sliver of his essence. In the right hands, this little coin can turn a mortal into a God."

Raven felt her stomach clench. She could feel the power radiating from her hand. The mark was an ancient language forgotten to all but the immortal, and Raven could make nothing of it, but it seemed to glitter in the crimson light. The demoness felt drawn to the medallion, and she dropped it. She took a few tentative steps back.

"That was your plan?" she asked. "You wanted to become a God?" Slade laughed, a long and cold sound that made Raven's skin crawl.

"Not I, Raven. I told you already: only you have the power to undo this madness, but you cannot do it as a Titan…"

"You're going to just give Raven a coin that will turn her into a God?" Beast Boy scoffed, eyes narrowed. "What are you playing at, Slade?" The masked villain was silent for a long moment.

"Do you mind, Robin? It's becoming difficult to breath." Reluctantly, Robin loosened his hold.

Raven took an involuntary step forward, caught herself, and glared at the medallion. The Mark of Chaos. That's what Slade had called it. The ancient stone called to Raven. She could feel its power reaching out to her, tugging at her natural abilities and imploring her to come closer. The empath was distinctly aware of the part of her nature the medallion was attracting, and she fought against the urgings of her demon blood. Slade was talking, and Raven forced herself to tune into his words.

"The Mark of Chaos can do everything Seth can do. It is his essence. The Entities don't create these artifacts lightly, because they can be used to hurt their makers: anyone who has enough power and a strong enough will to master the medallion – as opposed to being mastered by it, a very real concern – can psychically assault and physically harm the Entity that created it. I am many things, Beast Boy, but I'm not strong enough to do that."

"And you think Raven is?" Robin demanded. At first, the empath thought she was being insulted. Then she realized Robin was trying to preempt the trap doubtlessly embedded in Slade's actions and words. Nothing was ever as simple as it seemed when Slade was involved.

"I think she might be," the sociopath chuckled. "And even if she's not, it won't matter. Raven's going to try, because she knows I'm right. This is the only way. She'll try regardless of whether or not she can succeed to appease her guilt over what she's done."

The stone seemed to glow in the crimson light. Raven didn't want to listen to it, but the artifact was calling to her, and the call was getting louder as she stared at the ancient mark. The empath knew she was being manipulated, she knew it couldn't be as simple or straightforward as Slade made it seem, she knew that the Mark of Chaos was dangerous, but the demoness also knew she'd already lost.

The sorceress wasn't thinking about whether or not she _should_ use the medallion. She'd skipped that step entirely and gone straight to pondering _how_ she could use it.

Beast Boy stalked toward Slade and glared down at the man. "You killed Cyborg to get this medallion. You killed my friend for that… that thing. It smells foul and so do you, Slade."

"Welcome to the real world, Beast Boy. It's done. What are you going to do about it?" Raven could hear the smirk in the masked villain's voice.

"You wanted to see The Beast," Beast Boy said. "I'm going to give you exactly what you wanted." Robin pushed Slade away roughly and beat a hasty retreat. Raven closed her eyes and fought against herself. She didn't know what to do. Slade was dangerous, but she didn't want Beast Boy to murderer him. Even as she thought about these inhibitions, the empath recalled the lifelessness in Cyborg's face. By the time Raven figured out what she wanted, the snarling and the screaming had already started and it was too late regardless of what she wanted. She kept her eyes on the ground and grabbed the Mark of Chaos.

The empath started after Robin with the medallion in her hand. Without thinking, she slipped it into the same pocket that had sheltered Beast Boy's penny. Before long, Raven could no longer hear the screaming. It had either stopped or she'd moved out of earshot. She caught up with Robin and the two sat in uneasy silence. Neither one of them had done the act, but all three of them shared the guilt and the ultimate pain that had allowed their resolve to finally break, the pain that allowed them to cross that line that heroes were never supposed to cross: they'd lost Cyborg.

Raven didn't know how long Beast Boy took, but when the changeling returned, he was covered in matted blood, his eyes were puffy from recent crying, and he was carrying a complex hunk of metal.

"His central processor," was all Beast Boy said, and Raven understood. Cyborg's body was dead, but there was maybe a slight chance that his personality and memories were electronically preserved. With luck, one day they'd be able to download all the information onto a computer and talk to their friend one last time.

ooooo

Raven couldn't sleep. They'd tried to follow Starfire's signal, but their hearts weren't in the task and they burned out quickly. All Beast Boy wanted to do was cry and sleep. Robin hadn't spoken since the incident. Raven sat up and glared at the crimson sea above her. Beast Boy was curled on his side, his arms wrapped tightly around Cyborg's central processor as if it was the thing giving him life. Robin was sleeping a few yards away, isolated and covered in the fabric of his cape in a vain attempt to combat the frigid temperature.

Raven couldn't feel her fingers or toes and her nose stung horribly. She was glad for the numbness; it mirrored how she felt. Numb. Empty. Cyborg was dead, and she was still wrapping her mind around the fact that the boisterous African-American would never tease her again or work with her on the T-car or convince Beast Boy that she needed to be left alone for a few minutes. They wouldn't have any more late night chats. She hadn't even gotten to say goodbye. The last thing Raven said to her friend had been meaningless. The last thing he ever said to her was "Stay here."

The empath shuddered and glanced at Beast Boy. The changeling was still covered in Slade's blood. He'd morphed into a cat before falling asleep and cleaned off one of his arms, but the green feline had gagged horribly on the oxidized blood and given up on grooming.

Robin and Beast Boy were both asleep. Raven couldn't bring herself to close her eyes. Her thoughts kept straying to Cyborg, to Starfire, to Beast Boy and Robin and the mess they were in. Finally Raven's thoughts stilled, and the sorceress could focus on one thing: the medallion. The Mark of Chaos. She could feel it in her pocket. It was warm and left a tingly sensation on her skin through her leotard. She didn't know how to use the artifact, but she could feel a little of Seth's malignant presence in the stone. She could feel the power radiating outward and begging her to taste it, just once, just to experiment and see how rich absolute power could be. It was a seductive offer.

Raven felt eyes on her and blinked away her reverie. Beast Boy was staring at her, and she could tell from the look in his glazed eyes that he wasn't seeing his friend or teammate. He was seeing her as a sexual object. She frowned at the green boy and turned her attention back to the medallion. As long as he didn't do anything, it wouldn't hurt for him to daydream.

Robin stirred restlessly. He was clutching his communicator in his fist. The display was locked on the radar reporting Starfire's movements. Raven squinted to see the screen, but she didn't get up to inspect further. The medallion held her attention.

Slade said it had Seth's essence in it. Raven didn't doubt it. She could feel the power radiating from the ancient stone. There was enough power in the unassuming stone to transform Raven into a god, but she had no idea how to tap into that dormant power. The demoness licked her lips. Maybe it had been a mistake to kill Slade before he explained everything. She shook her head. These thoughts were dark and unseemly and made her feel morally bankrupt. Even a man as twisted and evil as Slade deserved better than what he got.

Raven took out the Mark of Chaos and turned it over in her hands. The stone felt warm, and she closed her eyes. The feeling was returning to her fingers.

"Please stop messing with that thing," Beast Boy whispered. "Just being around it gives me a bad feeling."

"It gives me a weird feeling too."

"So throw it away. Chuck it into the rubble."

Raven shook her head. She couldn't do that. Slade said it could be useful in undoing everything Seth did. She knew there was likely a trap hidden in the words, a last scheme from a genius manipulator, but Slade had no reason to lie about what the medallion could do – only what the consequences would be.

"I need it."

Beast Boy sat up. His arms were still around the cold metal of Cyborg's central processor. The changeling eyed Raven.

"It just makes me nervous the way you're looking at it."

"Don't worry, Beast Boy. I won't do anything stupid," Raven said, turning the medallion over again and marveling at how the engraving glittered in the crimson light. She was beginning to hate the color red. "Looking can't hurt." She pocketed the coin.

"I just hope you're right," Beast Boy muttered. The green boy didn't know a lot about magic or artifacts or Gods or Entities, but he knew never to doubt his animal instincts. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him. That medallion was dangerous. The changeling knew it wasn't harmless stone. Looking could hurt and would hurt, he just didn't know how.

Before he could say anything, the proximity alarm in Robin's communicator went off. Beast Boy and Raven both sprung to their feet. Robin was only moments behind them, his masked eyes narrowed and his lithe body prepared for immediate action. Starfire was close. Robin silenced the alarm and glanced at the display.

"Alright," the Boy Wonder said. "We need to work as a team. We pull our punches and try to reach her. I have to believe that Starfire can be saved. I'm not going to lose two of my teammates in one day." Beast Boy nodded

Raven signaled her agreement. "We pull our punches and try to reach our friend."

"What's the plan if we can't get through and she starts to kick our butts?" Beast Boy asked. The blood still covering the changeling's furry body made the question seem more sinister than he probably indented it to be.

"We take as much butt-kicking as we can safely manage and then fall back," Robin answered curtly. The young acrobat threw both his teammates questioning glances and shook his head. Raven could feel Robin's doubts rolling off him. They'd all lost a little of themselves, and the strict moral line that the Boy Wonder lived by had been blurred, jointed, and faulted. Raven tried to smile reassuringly, but the demoness doubted Robin saw her.

They didn't need to go far to find Starfire. The Tamaranian girl found them. Her hair was a nest of ragged wire clumped together here and there by congealed blood. Her uniform was torn to tatters, and Raven found herself embarrassed for her friend. The three scars that she'd received so long ago stood out starkly on her tan skin. Raven felt the medallion warm against her skin, and she cried out as it burned her. The empath looked down and saw a patch of her leotard melted away. The Mark of Chaos was lying on the rubble-strewn street, and a painful red welt was rising on Raven's thigh where her pocket used to be. Her healing magic cleared up the burn instantly.

"Titans, go!" Robin shouted before launching himself at Starfire. The boy traded blows with his near-naked friend before a twin blast of emerald radiation sailed from Starfire's eyes and slammed into his chest. Robin was hurled away, and Beast Boy instantly took his absent leader's place in the fight. The green boy morphed into an anaconda and wrapped around Starfire's body, careful to avoid the glowing orbs of energy in her fists. The Tamaranian struggled, but Beast Boy just squeezed tighter. Raven stared at her friend. All she saw in the alien's glowing eyes was madness. Raven swallowed and spoke.

"Starfire. It's us. It's me… Raven. Can you hear me? Do you remember me?" Starfire growled unintelligibly and fired a starbolt at Raven, but the empath took cover behind an ebony shield of magic. The demoness looked deeply into Starfire's eyes. After everything the girl had been through, she should have been strong enough to fight of Seth. And if she couldn't fight of Seth, the alien princess was definitely strong and smart enough to hide a part of herself away, deep in a part of her psyche that Seth couldn't easily reach.

"Please, Starfire, I know you're in there. You have to be," Raven pleaded. "We need you."

Robin jogged back toward Starfire and joined Raven. "Star, we lost Cyborg. Don't make me lose you too."

Something flickered in the eerie green depths of her eyes. Raven noticed the change and drew confidence from it. Starfire was pushing against Seth influence as much as she could. All they needed now was a way to expel it, a way to draw Seth from Starfire like poison from a wound. A tickling at the back of her mind drew Raven's attention. The empath glanced at the ground and saw the Mark of Chaos glittering in the light.

Before she could think about what she was doing, before Beast Boy or Robin could stop her, Raven grabbed the medallion and clenched it in her fist. She turned to Starfire, her eyes ablaze with white magic.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Black energy flooded from Raven and slammed into Starfire's body. The sorceress could feel power flowing from the medallion in her hand, and she could feel Seth's power all around her. More importantly, she could see Starfire's eyes again. Not the eerie green radiation of her anger but the actual eyes. Her friend was staring at her with wide, innocent eyes.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos! Zolda Pranken Kopeck Lum! Narz Pentola Trebek! Elprup Elprep Elprap Lekka!" The words left Raven's mouth without her meaning to speak them. Some of them she thought she recognized from various incantations Malchior had taught her, but the pronunciations were all wrong. It was an ancient form of magic, and the sorceress could feel the difference immediately. Her hand burned, but she couldn't release the Mark of Chaos. Starfire gasped in Beast Boy's grip and was released from Seth's power. Without anywhere to go, the malignant presence sped into Raven, following the easy channel already opened by the flow of her powers.

Chaos slammed into Raven, and the sorceress gasped as she absorbed the madness. The spell had turned her into a sponge and conduit, and Raven could feel her sanity crumbling as Seth and she engaged in a double-or-nothing rematch for her sanity. Raven tried to push against the incoming flow, but nothing could stop it. This was why Slade hadn't wanted to use the medallion himself. This was the cost. Raven felt tears flowing down her cheeks. She didn't think she'd be able to take much more. Just when she felt she'd reached her breaking point, Raven felt arms around her.

Robin, Starfire, and Beast Boy were all grabbing hold of her, and the chaos that had flooded to Raven started to spill into her friends. The alleviation made the empath feel giddy, but one look at her friends' faces reminded her how serious the situation was. With a great effort, Raven released the Mark of Chaos, and the stone fell to the ground, followed quickly by Robin, Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven. They collapsed in a heap, too exhausted to move.

ooooo

Seth watched the episode unfold incredulously. The beefy Entity snarled and screamed as he felt his power erode a little from the unintentional assault. He was in pain and he was furious. He'd forgotten what pain felt like, and its sudden return was intense. The medallion was never supposed to reach Raven. Temple sat nearby with her book and amicus, scribbling furiously through her work and grinning impishly.

"What are you so happy about?" Seth barked. Temple didn't answer, she didn't need to. If Seth was losing power, if Chaos was being reduced, it meant that Order was taking its place, something that Temple, with her book and her rules, was always giddy about.

"You're an idiot," she said eventually. "I can't believe you gave Slade your Mark. That's just stupid."

"He paid for it in the end," Seth sneered. If anything good came out of this, it was Slade's death. And that was small consolation to the enraged Entity.

"I wouldn't bet on that. He had two Marks: your and Morana's. If Slade knew how to use the Mark of Death before he let himself be killed, it just means that he bought himself a free pass with the Titans. They won't pay attention to him if their positive Beast Boy killed him. So, Slade gets exactly what he wants – which is freedom of movement and the advantage of anonymity – and he delivers the only way to repair all the damage you did to the only person who has the power to do it. He even got rid of one of his enemies along the way…" Temple chuckled at the ingenuity of it.

Seth paled. Morana had been angry at him for tricking her about the dimensional lock-down, but the idea that her anger would inspire her to help Slade and the Titans beat him was frightening. She wouldn't. It was such a gross overreaction, especially considering all the times they'd worked together and helped each other. He gulped and withdrew from the Observation Room.

* * *

**AN: **I've been dangling the possibility of killing one of the Titans before you for ages. After all the teasing, all the half-misses, and all the agonizing, I've done it. Don't kill me! It was a hard decision to make, and an even harder one to keep - I've known this was coming since I started writing chapter 1. As always, please take a moment to comment. Knowing what you guys think, good and bad, helps me improve my writing.


	9. Chapter 9

I cannot believe it's been so long since I last updated. I really do apologize. You are all such amazing readers, and I hate leaving you hanging for so long. Once again, thank you to everybody reading this - for your patience and for leaving absolutely amazing feedback as this story has progressed. This chapter went through five complete drafts before I was happy with it. When I was struggling the most to break through writer's block, your reviews were what I turned to.

So thank you. Without further delay, I'd like to share with you what you've helped create. Enjoy!

* * *

"It is natural for man to indulge in the illusions of hope." ~Patrick Henry (1736-1799)

**Darkness Calls: Chapter 9**

Raven knew she was unconscious. Everything around her was distorted; the ground shifted under her feet, sound did its best to trick her. The demoness looked around her and sighed in relief when she saw her surroundings: she was in Nevermore, the world that existed within her mind, the only place where her emotions were fully expressed. The endless black expanse stretched out before her. Red stars peppered the sky and made Raven feel at home despite the dizziness that blurred her vision. She stumbled along the dusty walkways that crisscrossed in the sky. When she ran out of space on one segment of walkway, a different one would fly in front of her to continue the stone path.

Small ravens watched the empath's progress with large red eyes. The birds were perched in the boughs of dying trees that somehow managed to prosper in the hostile environment of Raven's mind. She glanced at the animals without interest. Raven was intimately familiar with every single corner of Nevermore. What was vexing for the young woman was that she didn't want to be here. It took powerful magic or intense concentration to enter her mind. She was in Nevermore because Seth put her there. The demoness looked around instinctively for her teammates. They hadn't made the journey with her.

"What are you playing at?" Raven whispered.

"I had the home field advantage last time. I thought it only fair that we meet in an area you were more familiar with," Seth said from behind her.

Raven whirled around to see the beefy Entity walking toward her. There was no walkway under the man's feet. She glared at the man responsible for the horrors she'd undergone over the past weeks.

"You surprised me with how quickly you figured out how to use my Mark, Raven."

"What do you want?" the sorceress hissed, struggling to focus on the Entity's approaching form. It was difficult. The dizziness was getting worse as he got closer.

"The question isn't what I want. The question is what you want – and how I can help you get it," Seth quoted, smirking as he threw Slade's words at her. The dead man's words made Raven shiver. She squeezed her eyes shut. The temperature in Nevermore rose imperceptibly. The empath felt the small change and took a deep breath. Her emotions couldn't run away from her.

"Why are you here? What more could you possibly want?" Raven asked, her voice flat and dead. The dry monotone made the Entity smile.

"You sound so much more… distant now than you did with Beast Boy. More androgynous." The pale girl struggled to control her blush. The idea that Seth had been watching Beast Boy and her when they were alone in the treatment plant made her blood boil.

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I want your mind. I thought it would be a simple matter to seize control of your dimension, but you and your friends have displayed an annoying talent for disruption. I want you out of the picture."

Raven willed the world to stop spinning and eyed Seth. He was afraid. For the first time since meeting the Entity, the empath was positive she could feel an emotion radiating from Seth. He was terrified. The madness that glinted in his eyes was subdued, and he was holding himself like a wounded animal. Raven's lips twitched up into a grim smile. Finally something hadn't gone according to Seth's plan.

"We will beat you. That Mark's the key. I'm willing to take my chances with the consequences if it means a chance to get back at you."

"That's because you're not thinking rationally. It's because you have no clue what you're dealing with! That much power will tear you apart. You think Trigon was bad? You think what I've done to your dimension is abominable? I am here to tell you that my Mark has all my power and you have none of my control. If you use it again, you will bring a fate worse than death onto everything and everyone you've ever cared about."

"It's the way to hurt you."

The chaotic Entity vented an animalistic howl. "You think that your little friends and your little powers will be enough to keep you safe from me? You can hurt me with the Mark – that much is true. But if you take this fight to me, your fate will be a hundred times worse than anything you've ever imagined!"

Raven turned away and kept walking, careful to keep her senses alert. She was in Nevermore. This was her safe haven. Seth would find it difficult to harm her here, but she refused to get cocky. He'd proved her wrong before.

"You think the madness has been hard to combat? You've all lost a part of yourself to me, right? That's what you've been thinking, that's what you've been saying. You might be strong enough to keep me out, Raven, but your friends aren't. Think of Beast Boy – he's already a murderer. You do this and I will break him. I'll turn him into a moral sinkhole. He'll murder, he'll rape: deep down he's nothing but an animal. I will give The Beast control. Your friend? He won't exist."

"Deep down he is a man!" she snapped. "You want to talk about deep down, Seth? You want to talk about messing with things you don't understand? Deep down I am the seed of Trigon. Deep down I am a creature born of evil and baptized by death. _I_ am more than _you_ can handle! My friends are my family. Earth is my home. You attack them, and there will be nowhere for you to run. I don't care how powerful you are." Seth laughed. The mad spark flared in his eyes. Raven kept her eyes locked on the Entity's face. It was the only thing in focus.

"At your most powerful, you might be too much for me. Maybe. If you had help. But you'll never succumb to your dark side. Because if you do, you know there's no going back. Ever. And you're not prepared to make that sacrifice. After eighteen years of knowing your future was written in stone, you finally have a life you can call your own. You won't throw that away."

"Try me," Raven said. Her voice came out clear and sharp, but she could feel her doubts squirming in her skull. Seth was right. She didn't want to lose a chance at her own life. Black energy flared to life around Raven's hands. The man's words were poison, and she'd had more than enough. "This conversation is over. Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

Seth was bombarded by the ebony magic. Nothing happened. The rotund man shook his head and rolled his eyes. Raven stared at him, her mouth slightly agape. Nevermore was where she was her most powerful; at her most powerful and using every drop of magic she dared, Raven couldn't expel Seth from her mind.

"You're out of your league," he said. Then the man vanished in a blinding flash of bronze light.

ooooo

Raven woke up screaming. She bolted upright, but a firm hand slammed into her shoulder and forced her to lie down again. Starfire was frowning down at her, her youthful physiognomy marred by concern. The Tamaranian had salvaged a bloody outfit from a corpse to fix her embarrassing state of undress. Raven gasped and rolled away from her friend before being violently sick.

"Raven!" Starfire cried. "What is wrong?" Before the demoness could answer, another wave of nausea washed over her. After so long without a proper meal, there was nothing in her stomach. She expelled all its meager contents anyway. When she was done, Raven saw the Mark of Chaos a few inches from her. She grabbed the rune in her fist and felt it warm instantly against her skin.

"You should put that back down," Robin suggested. The Boy Wonder came to Raven's side and awkwardly rubbed her back. She shooed his hand away. "We don't know what it can do."

"We know exactly what it can do. It can help us fight Seth. We need to hit him hard, fast, and now."

"What Robin means is that we don't know what the costs of using it are," Beast Boy said. "Put it down, Rae." The changeling was sitting atop Cyborg's central processor, his keen eyes trained on Raven's figure. His face was covered in oxidized blood. There was a visible cut on his lower lip from where she'd bit him.

Raven shook her head stubbornly. "We don't have the luxury of waiting around to gather all the facts. We're out of food and water. We have been for days now. If we don't end this now, we're all going to die."

Starfire hummed thoughtfully. "You speak truth, friend, but I cannot dispel the feeling that you are concealing something from us. Please… what has troubled you so deeply?"

"The world's been reduced to rubble; Cyborg's dead; and we're all murderers or accessories to murder," Raven said. "We need to fight back. We've spent all this time regrouping. That was your advice, Robin," she said, turning to address her leader. "Well we're here. We're all together. We can fix this if we work together, but the only way to fight back is to use the Mark of Chaos."

Robin, Starfire, and Beast Boy shared apprehensive glances. The three Titans knew they were running out of time, but Raven wasn't acting like herself. She was terrified. Something had happened. Starfire nodded.

"The current state of our home is most distressing, and Cyborg's death is…" Starfire choked on her words. "No. There will be an appropriate time and place for grief." With that the Tamaranian moved on, her emotions firmly restrained. Raven blinked at her friend's unusual show of emotional control. "Raven, you of all people must understand that there are consequences associated with using such an artifact. We know nothing of its power, functionality, or origins. The fact that Slade valued this device so greatly troubles me."

Beast Boy was staring at Raven's hand. She followed his gaze to the fist holding the Mark of Chaos. A dull bronze light was peeking from between her fingers. The empath didn't need to ask what he was thinking. Beast Boy didn't trust the Mark. And with good reason.

"Are you sure about this, Raven?" Robin asked, brow furrowed. "I wasn't lying when I said we could do anything as a team. If you think the Mark is our best shot at beating Seth, we'll follow you."

For the first time since waking up, Raven took in her teammates. They'd follow her lead. Seth was dangerous. All four of them would be in grave danger. The world was a wasteland, but they could survive in it, even if just barely. Using the Mark of Chaos to wage war against Seth would be more challenging than anything they'd ever done.

"It's the best way," Raven whispered.

"Well let's get to work then," Beast Boy shouted. The changeling stood and stretched his back. "I could use a world with working plumbing and clean water. Let's go kick a God's butt."

"Now you're talking," Robin smiled. It was a strained moment. The Boy Wonder had doubts.

"Let us commence with the butt whoop." Raven grinned. Starfire had arguably suffered worse under Seth's influence than any of the remaining Titans. Despite the horrors of the past weeks, the cheerful alien could smile and act like it was just another day.

Beast Boy looked expectantly at Raven. "What exactly do we do?"

The demoness nodded, her confidence and resolve firm. The spell that allowed her to draw Seth's influence out of Starfire was an old piece of magic. The exact nature of the spell eluded her, but Raven was fairly certain that it was an inverse teleportation spell for transporting psychic and life energy.

"We all hold onto the Mark and say the spell I used to get Seth out of Starfire. We can't fight him directly. A physical confrontation wouldn't prove anything. I've met with and talked to a man claiming to be Seth, but Entities don't have physical bodies. Not really. They're immutable facts of life. It wouldn't do any good to beat Seth up. What we need to do is attack him psychically, reduce his influence by eroding his power base." Beast Boy stuck a finger into his ear and rotated it to clear the passage.

"You lost me."

Raven sighed. "Everybody take hold of my hand and repeat after me. Be prepared for a mental confrontation." As her teammates grabbed Raven's hand, she locked eyes with each Titan. They were all covered in blood, and the scars of the past days were clearly etched into their souls, but she could feel hope radiating from them. The empath drew the feeling to her. Robin had been right when he said Raven was hopeful. The kernel that had sustained her for so long had been her own hope, alien to her because of her doubts but present nonetheless. And hope engendered hope, creating a never-ending cycle. Beast Boy laid his palm on the back of Raven's hand, and she could feel their lucky penny pressed against her skin.

"For luck," he whispered. Raven nodded. Seth had taken that memory from the changeling, but now they were creating new memories. There were going to be a lot more of them in the future. Raven started chanting.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Zolda Pranken Kopeck Lum. Narz Pentola Trebek. Elprup Elprep Elprap Lekka." Her friends chimed in behind her, creating a cannon as the spell progressed. The Mark of Chaos hissed and glowed brighter. Raven continued the incantation through the pain: the hissing was coming from her burning flesh. Robin, Starfire, and Beast Boy followed suit.

The pain in Raven's hand began to fade as her mind withdrew from her body. This was a battle between minds. She could feel Seth through the bond he shared with his Mark. Raven lashed out at him with as much force as she could muster, and she could feel her friends doing the same. The blows struck Seth hard, and he jerked away from the contact. The Titans' bodies fell to the rubble-strewn streets while their minds careened into a battle like none they'd ever fought before.

ooooo

The Observation Room came into focus slowly. Raven knew the body she inhabited was merely an astral projection, but Beast Boy, Starfire, and Robin were unaware of that fact. Confusing was plastered on her friends' faces as they took in their surroundings. Seth was leaning against the Basin, wheezing. The beefy Entity chocked out a weak chuckle when he saw his visitors.

"That was a mistake, Raven."

"The only mistake here is you, Seth," Robin snapped. "We're shutting you down. Get out of our dimension or things will get nasty." Seth smirked, still breathing heavily.

"You have no idea just how nasty." The Entity of Chaos closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Do you still think about your mother and father, Robin?" He chuckled. "Of course you do. It's your reason for being a hero: you're trying to make sure no other children lose their parents senselessly. Has it occurred to you that a number of your supposed friends have been actively working against that goal over the past few days?"

"Cease these games!" Starfire ordered, green energy erupting in her palms.

"Koriand'r, the games are just beginning. They'll be fun. Trust me: I know tricks the Citadel have never dreamed of."

"Do not speak to me of those monsters!" Starfire roared. Raven glanced at her friend. She was hiding it behind her rage, but the Tamaranian was close to tears. Robin heard the undertone as well. Starfire and Raven had spoken before, only briefly, about her experience with the Citadel. The demoness always assumed that Robin knew about it, but the amount of surprise flowing from the Boy Wonder indicated otherwise.

"I think the four of you will enjoy my games," Seth said. "Since I have the home field advantage, I'll set the rules." Bronze light erupted in the room, consuming Raven's senses. When the light faded, Seth was gone.

"Where'd he go?" Beast Boy asked hesitantly. The Observation Room stretched out around them, an endless expanse of sterile white. It was maddening. Raven reached out with her empathetic powers and realized what Seth had done.

"He separated us."

"But we have not moved since our arrival," Starfire pointed out. Raven shook her head.

"We aren't where we came in anymore. Some of us aren't even here. We came in as astral projections. Seth's separated us and paired us with astral copies."

"You mean that all four of us aren't really here?" Robin said.

"Exactly."

"Can you tell which of us are real and which are Seth's astral copies?"

"No."

"So how can we be sure that you're the real Raven?"

The empath smiled humorously. "You can't."

"Can you possibly identify how many of us are real and how many of us are fabrications?" Starfire suggested. Beast Boy started laughing. Raven turned to the changeling incredulously. He was chuckling without a care in the world; tears were springing to life at the corners of his eyes.

"Seth's trying to drive us crazy," he gasped. "Too bad for him I have such a good sense of smell."

"Beast Boy, this might not be the best time to point this out, but we arrived as astral projections. Your senses aren't actually real; they're just telling you what you believe they should be telling you," Raven said. The changeling stopped laughing.

"At least I know I've got the real Raven," he muttered.

"We all look real, and we're behaving as we normally would," Robin said. "Isn't there anyway to tell the true Titans from the fake ones, Raven?" The Boy Wonder waited for an answer.

"The astral forgeries will only get better with time and the more we interact with them. Like I was telling Beast Boy, we're being told exactly what we expect to be told. Seth's drawing off our memories and emotions to create believable illusions."

"So you're either the real Raven telling me the truth or you're a Raven copy trying to drive me crazy and prolong the amount of interaction we have with each other in order to make yourself a more believable copy?"

"That's right. And you're either the real Robin being a good detective or you're a copy that's presenting a version of Robin I'm familiar and comfortable with."

A low and pitiful groan came from Raven's left. She turned to see Beast Boy cradling his head in his hands. The green elf was pulling on the points of his ears and frowning at the ground.

"Just for once can this Seth guy not give me a headache!?" Beast Boy had a point. Raven knew some of her friends were still with her – she thought they were still there, at any rate, though it was possible Seth somehow managed to fool her empathetic abilities – but that still left the problem of identifying the real Titans and the fake ones. She didn't know what Seth was planning, but she had a bad feeling about it.

"We can figure this out as long as we work together as a team. Until we find a way to distinguish the real Titans from the astral forgeries, we need to give each other the benefit of the doubt," she said.

"You think that's a good idea, Raven?" Robin asked. "If the projections get better with time and interaction, that's only going to make figuring out who's real and who isn't harder."

"It's either that or allowing Seth to drive a wedge between us!" Raven snapped. She didn't like the idea of allowing the astral copies time to perfect themselves, but sticking together as a team required trusting the members of the team. Seth had found the best way to attack the Titans: destabilize the team. If they didn't work together, then they were nothing but scared teenagers.

"Do you want to let him do that? If we start doubting each other, Seth's already won," Raven finished. Beast Boy groaned again.

"Would you stop doing that?" Raven and Robin said simultaneously. Beast Boy glared at both of them while Starfire looked between her friends. A flash of bronze light caught Raven's attention, and she wheeled toward the source. Seth was standing next to the Basin with a cocky grin on his fat-rich face. His pallor still matched Raven's.

"I see that your Raven has had a chance to explain the situation to you. Good. I mentioned a game earlier. Are you interested in hearing more about it?"

Robin drew a birderang from his utility belt and sent the projectile flying at Seth. The weapon imbedded itself in the man's stomach. He simply pulled it out. There was no cut, no pain, no evidence he'd been hurt at all. Raven shook her head at Robin's brashness. They were only astral projections; they couldn't hurt Seth with their weapons or their powers.

"I will remove my influence from your dimension. It could be temporary or permanent depending on how well you play the game." The Entity waved his hand over the Basin and blinding light flew from the Basin's surface. The bronze energy looked like grains of sand, cascading upwards in a steady stream. Raven dared to glance at the Basin's surface, and she saw Jump City restored to its former glory.

"What about the game and how we play it determines whether it's permanent or temporary?" Raven asked. She was intrigued despite herself. Seth wouldn't withdraw that much power for no reason. The man was obviously planning on using an incredible amount of power to subdue the Titans.

"Whether or not you win," Seth chuckled. "Catch." With that, the Entity thrust his hand toward the Titans. The power he'd withdrawn from their world flew forth in a sea of bronze light. Raven felt it wash over her and consume her, but the terrifying madness she expected never assaulted her. The light cleared and Raven saw her friends, Seth, and three groups that looked exactly like the Titans arrayed around the Basin.

"There are four Ravens, four Starfires, four Beast Boys, and four Robins. I have given you the power to harm my projections. You win when you kill all the fake Titans. You lose when you kill each other. Have fun." Seth withdrew from the room. Raven could see his maddening Cheshire-cat smile long after his body had faded from the room.

There was a beat in which no one said or did anything. Raven looked around the room at the other Titans. They were all perfect imitations. She locked eyes with one of her clones. The girl looked back at her with a deadly glare. The sorceress recognized the expression, and for the first time she started to doubt whether or not she was the real Raven. She pushed the thought aside instantly, dragging it into a dark corner of her mind where she wrapped her fingers around its throat and squeezed the life from it.

One of the Beast Boys across the room gaped at the crowd of Titans. "Does he really expect us to kill each other? I mean, I know Seth's crazy, but even he can't expect that to work."

Fifteen Titans turned to the Beast Boy who'd spoken. Raven tried to classify them, tried to number them all and keep track of them, but nothing worked. They were all identical. She knew she was the real Raven. That was all she knew.

"It shouldn't be too hard to figure out who the real Titans are," one of the Robins said. "All we need to do is ask each other questions only the real Titans would know the answer to."

"That won't work," a Raven duplicate chimed in. "They're just projections. If we ask them questions only the real Titans know the answer to, they'll either known the answers or they'll draw the answers from our minds. We can't outsmart them."

Raven glared at the woman who'd spoken. She wasn't the only one. Two other clones were doing the exact same thing. Tension was mounting in the air. The empath could feel the strain of Seth's manipulations on her friends' minds. A faint scratching sound drew Raven's attention. She turned to see Beast Boy, the Beast Boy from her group, using his nails to etch the number 1 into the front of his uniform. He caught her eye and chuckled.

"If we're going to fight, I'd like to make sure everybody knows which one is me."

She couldn't help but smile at the thought, especially because it was exactly the type of thing Beast Boy would say and do. All of his clones were likely to do the same thing – assuming she was talking to the real Beast Boy.

"I am unaware who among us is truly a Titan, but I know whether or not I am truly myself," one of the Starfires declared as she flew into the air. Green radiation was glowing in her fists. "I suggest we start there."

Raven was frozen by morbid curiosity as she watched what happened next. The scene unfolded in slow motion, like a movie being played forward frame-by-frame in the hopes of catching a mistake in the film. She wanted to see some mistake; she wanted a guide that would help her tell the truth apart from Seth's illusions. Starbolts started raining down on the other Starfires, and the three Tamaranians were quick to react: they shot into the air, their eyes glowing with the fury of their power and their fists ablaze with deadly radiation. Raven put her hand over her eyes as battle erupted in the Observation Room.

Everybody had the same idea Starfire had. No one wanted to accidentally kill their friends, but each Titan knew they had three clear opponents – the projections impersonating them. Beast Boy didn't jump into the fray. The green boy with the number 1 etched into his uniform stood by Raven's side, watching the unfolding chaos.

"This is making Seth stronger, isn't it? Us fighting like this, doubting each other and even ourselves… it's making him stronger, right?" Raven nodded silently. "You always said we could figure this out if we worked together. What do you say, Rae? We give each other the benefit of the doubt and help each other out?"

The demoness took her hands from her face and studied Beast Boy. He looked exactly as he should; he was acting exactly like he should. She tried to answer, but her voice wouldn't work. He could be an astral projection. By giving him the benefit of the doubt and helping him against the other Beast Boys, she would risk killing the real Beast Boy. The elf read her easily.

"Alright. I'll help you out. You don't need to do anything you're uncomfortable with."

Before Raven could argue with the boy's blind trust, before she could point out how dangerous it was, he was tackled by a screeching baboon. The green primate wrapped itself around Beast Boy's body and rained blow after blow onto his head. He morphed into a turtle and drew into his shell in response. The turtle and the baboon were replaced by a raccoon and a fox. They in turn morphed into a lion and a tiger. Raven lost track of which Beast Boy was her self-declared ally. The two elves took to the sky as a hawk and an osprey; the green birds swooped at each other with deadly precision while the green energy of starbolts darted around them.

Raven's torso was consumed by an icy sensation. She glanced down to see an obsidian sheath around her. The demoness was picked from the floor and sent sailing toward the Basin. She broke free of the grip with effort and righted her course, barely avoiding a painful collision with the ornately carved stone. Raven glared at a perfect copy of herself and called upon her powers. The familiar black light swarmed around her hands.

The empath darted at her duplicate, throwing sharp kicks and strong punches. Her clone blocked every attack with an obsidian shield. She waved her hand where Raven's strike would land, and a black shield sprang to life. Raven didn't relent. She saw three Robins below her engaged in a heated battle with their bo staffs. She used her powers to grab a birderang from one of their utility belts. The projectile flew toward the duplicate Raven, but the opposing sorceress used her own powers to shatter the device into tiny pieces.

"You're not real," Raven growled.

"Of course _you'd_ tell me. Seth did a good job on you, but you're still nothing but a cheap copy," the clone answered, her voice cold and devoid of emotion.

Raven felt her anger mounting. It was bad enough that Seth was trying to drive her crazy by surrounding her by copies of her friends. The fact that he was trying to make her doubt her own existence was the final straw. The sorceress called upon her magic, and spikes of energy formed at her fingertips. She thrust her hand forward. The five projectiles were on target, but the Raven duplicate vanished through a portal. Before Raven had time to react, she felt a foot slam solidly into the back of her head.

The demoness lost her orientation and started to fall to the ground. Raven flipped over as she fell. The clone even fought like her. She gained control of her descent and flew with her back to the ground, shooting spikes of her magic at her look-alike. A peregrine falcon flew past Raven's head with a pterodactyl in fast pursuit. The flying dinosaur took a moment to morph into a gorilla and punch Raven's pursuer in the side. The plummeting primate morphed back into a pterodactyl before chasing after the falcon again. Raven's opponent was sent flying off to the side. Raven shook her head. It was impossible for her to tell how Beast Boy had known which one was her. Then again, maybe he didn't.

Her musings were cut off when someone was thrown into her. Raven fell from the sky and landed on the pristine white floor. Her limbs were tangled with Starfire's. The Tamaranian was covered in bruises.

"Assuming you are truly Raven, one hundred apologies, friend," she said before rushing back into battle with another hovering Starfire. A stray birderang came too close to Raven, and she seized the weapon with her powers. With a mental flick, the sorceress sent the projectile careening toward the Raven she'd been fighting earlier. Just as with the other birderang, the duplicate shattered it with her powers.

Raven concentrated and called upon her powers. Slowly the black energy surrounding her hands took form. The ebony light stretched out from Raven and twisted itself through the air until the young empath was holding a machete made of frigid black magic. The duplicate Raven broke off her charge and eyed the weapon apprehensively.

The sorceress sped toward her clone as the battle raged around them. She swung widely at her foe, expecting the duplicate Raven to erect a barrier. She wasn't disappointed. Still in mid-swing, Raven sunk through the floor, reappearing behind her opponent with her blade rapidly gaining speed. A second black shield sprung to life, intercepting Raven's attack. When the two magic forms collided, when blade met shield, a colossal explosion of magical energy threw Raven backward. She sailed through the battlefield and collided with a Robin. Both of them were sent sprawling.

While the Robin was recovering, a second Robin slammed his bo staff into the Boy Wonder. The attacker was unrelenting, and with two overpowering blows, the first Robin collapsed. Raven eyed the boy before her. He cast a quick glance toward the sword in her hands before racing back into battle.

A loud roar drew Raven's attention. The empath turned to see a Grizzly bear being squeezed by an anaconda. Without thinking, without any proof of how she knew it, Raven knew that the Grizzly bear was her Beast Boy. The demoness sunk into the ground and reappeared near the struggling changelings. She stabbed her machete at the giant snake, and the creature loosed a horrifying squeal. It wasn't a natural sound, and the anaconda released its prey. The injured Beast Boy morphed into an alligator, and the reptile lunged at her, its gaping maw open to receive her torso. The Grizzly she'd rescued transformed into The Beast instantly, and the primal creature grabbed onto the reptile's tail. The Beast jerked the alligator backward, and its mouth snapped shut on empty air. The scaly reptile was sent flying across the Observation Room, and The Beast morphed into Beast Boy. The number 1 was etched into the front of his uniform.

"Thanks, Rae," he gasped. "By the way, the machete's a little too outdoorsy for you to pull off." Raven shook her head at her friend's uncanny ability to always joke around. It was almost as if the green boy wasn't aware of the imminent danger they were all in.

"Shut up, Beast Boy. I'm using it to kill things, not to go on an expedition."

The changeling blanched at her casual reference to killing. That was another thing Beast Boy would have done. She wasn't sure if he was the real Beast Boy or not, but she was beginning to think he was.

Five black spikes of energy flew at Raven. She didn't see the attack coming until it was almost too late, and the empath hissed as one of the projectiles cut across the back of her thigh. Healing blue magic began to work around the injury instantly. Raven glanced at Beast Boy, and she made up her mind; they couldn't beat themselves without help. A portal opened under Beast Boy, and the changeling yelped in surprise before disappearing.

Raven sped at her attacker, her eyes locked on the Raven clone. The look-alike was calling upon her magic, and Raven could see claws forming around her hand. The clone thrust her hand forward, and a solid column of energy sped forward, a serrated claw attached to the end and trained on Raven. The demoness did a barrel roll in the air to avoid the attack, and the magical attack adapted to her movements, tracking back and reaching her leg.

Raven continued to speed toward her duplicate, her machete held ready. Just as Raven got close enough to strike, she pulled up, shooting over her opponent's head. As she pulled out of the attack, the sorceress finally let Beast Boy back into their dimension. The changeling flew toward the duplicate Raven. He caught on quickly, morphing into a rhinoceros just in time to slam into the sorceress before him. Raven grabbed Beast Boy with her powers and shoved him aside before slashing at her clone. The machete struck the look-alike's neck and cut into the pale flesh. Raven watched, horrified, as her own headless body tumbled to the ground. She set Beast Boy down and struggled to breath. He looked greener than usual.

"You're the real Raven, right? I didn't just kill…."

"You didn't kill anyone. I struck the final blow, and it was just a projection anyway."

"Then why's the body still here?" Beast Boy said, his voice quivering.

"To make it harder for us to do what we need to do," Raven answered. She stared at her copy's lifeless eyes and shuddered. The illusion was unbelievably real. She could only image what Beast Boy was feeling, unsure if he'd accidentally helped murder one of his friends. A member of his family. The battle raged on around them as Beast Boy and Raven struggled with the doubts inside their heads.

ooooo

Jump City was up and running just as it had been. All the physical evidence of the disastrous madness Seth had unleashed upon the world was gone. All the evidence except the bodies. As recently freed members of the packs regained their senses, they saw the death that had descended on their city, an unwelcome houseguest without the decency or the empathy to realize it was unwelcome. Children cried out in horror as they discovered the bodies of their parents. Men and women looked down at themselves only to see the flesh and blood of their neighbors' trapped under their fingernails and soaked into what remained of their clothes.

Titans' Tower was a glistening beacon in the center of Jump City Bay, just as it always had been. The living room was restored to its former splendor, the GameStation III free of even the lightest coat of dust and the gutted couch miraculously reassembled. Without the couch, the Titans would have had nowhere to lie down.

All four of the superheroes were unconscious on the sofa, looking for the entire world as if they were only taking a nap. The tower should have been deserted, but the rapid clicking of computer keys and the occasional clink of tools gave away a fifth presence in the room.

Slade placed down the screwdriver he'd been using and hooked another cable into Cyborg's central processor. The sociopath hammered out a complex series of commands on the keyboard, and the processor hummed to life. A digital image of Cyborg's face appeared on the monitor soon after. The metallic Titan looked around, confused, before he spotted Slade.

"You son of a bitch! What'd you do to me?"

Slade began to pack up his tools silently. "You're welcome. I've transferred all the salvageable memories from your processor onto the tower's main hard-drive. It isn't as good as being brought back to life, but at least you're still here, still conscious, and can still see your friends."

"You killed me! I remember–"

"You and Beast Boy both seem fascinated with that fact," Slade chuckled. "I did what was necessary to undo the damage Seth did. Your life was an unavoidable cost."

Cyborg scowled at Slade. "If I've been integrated into the tower's hard-drive, I should have access to the security features," he growled.

"There are a few things that I haven't finished yet. You'll excuse me, but I'm not eager to be trapped in the tower while you're fully integrated into the security system. As a Teen Titan, you're of course above something as petty as revenge… but I'd rather not take chances."

"What are you doing?" Cyborg demanded. Slade didn't answer, and the digital Titan began to think their conversation was over. Eventually, the armored assassin looked up at his most recent victim.

"You're aware that I'm going to erase all your memories of this conversation and my presence here?" Cyborg didn't answer. The deceased hero glared down at the man responsible for his death.

"I'm waiting. That artifact in Raven's hand is powerful. I'm waiting for her to figure out how to use it. While I was waiting, I thought it might be entertaining to see if I could transfer the contents of your processor to the computer – a perfect and long overdue opportunity to get intimately acquainted with your tower's systems."

Before Cyborg could say anything, Slade punched a command into the computer. The main terminal screen went black, and the digital hero was shut down. The masked villain glanced up at the camera recording the living room. He walked over to Raven's unconscious form and stared down at the demoness.

The Mark of Chaos was glowing a faint bronze in the girl's hand, but it wasn't bright enough. Slade pulled the Mark of Death from his belt and watched as the ancient artifact pulsed with brilliant black light. Raven hadn't learned how to use the Mark yet. Slade sat down between Raven and Robin, grabbed the television remote, and settled down to wait.

The breaking news report on the television was the only sound.

* * *

**AN: **There isn't a question in my mind that Darkness Calls is turning into my best work to date (baring the occasional careless typo). My hope is to be a little more expedient with updates, especially because most of my readers are, correct me if I'm wrong, starting a very long summer vacation. It might not seem like it, but we are actually inching toward a conclusion. Until next time, readers. A pleasure as always.


	10. Chapter 10

Alright, boys and girls! As always, I'd like to extend my warmest thanks to my readers and reviewers. Believe it or not, we're coming down to the end of this little story of mine. There are a few things left to tie up, but... we're almost at the end. I actually considered ending at the end of this chapter, but I realized it would have left too many unanswered questions. And it would have just been mean. Enjoy.

* * *

"In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility."

~Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

**Darkness Calls: Chapter 10**

As Raven looked at her clone's decapitated body, she felt as if the air around her was ossifying. The Observation Room still echoed the sounds of combat: the Kiai of Robins as they pummeled each other rang out sharply, punctuated by the clang of bo staffs and birderangs; bolts of sizzling green radiation flew through the air, impacting the ground and adding colossal explosions to the mix; and the snarls of wild beasts completed the cacophony. Yet in the midst of all the action, fully aware that she still had two of Seth's astral projections to deal with, Raven couldn't take her eyes off the body before her.

She'd just killed herself.

The empath knew the dead girl sprawled on the floor was a fake, but she couldn't deny the likeness. The voice that had gasped out in shock when the machete sunk into the pale girl's skin had been Raven's voice. She was looking into empty violet eyes that used to be alive with emotion and thought. She'd snuffed them out. Beast Boy was by Raven's side. The elf's face was greener than normal as he stared at the slain sorceress.

A tremendous burst of energy broke through Raven's thoughts and drew her back into the moment. Two Starfires had been pelting each other with starbolts overhead. One of them crashed to the floor and slid along the pristine whiteness before bumping into the dead Raven's head. Starfire sat up and shook her head, then turned to apologize. The Tamaranian's words stuck in her throat. Starfire looked around in horror for the rest of the body. Her eyes landed on Raven and Beast Boy. The shaken alien flew from the floor.

"You have killed Raven!" she roared.

"That's only a duplicate, Starfire. I'm the real Raven."

The redhead's eyes narrowed. "I have spoken at length with this Raven. She was the true Raven."

Beast Boy interrupted the exchange. "Star, this is Raven. Come on, you know me. I would never have helped her if I wasn't positive. She's the real Raven. I'm the real Beast Boy."

"I do not believe you!" Starfire shot back. "I know my friends better than Seth has given me credit for. This was the real Raven… that means you are only a cheap imitation," she spat. "You have killed my friend, and you shall be made to pay for it!" Brilliant green energy encased the alien's hands as she spoke. Beast Boy jumped in between the two heroines, his hands held up pleadingly.

"Star, please… don't do this. It's only making Seth stronger for us to doubt each other. If that," he nodded toward the dead Raven, "was the real Raven, then she's dead. There's nothing we can do to change it. But how could an imitation beat the real thing?"

"With assistance from similar forgeries," Starfire seethed. The girl leveled her glowing fist at Beast Boy's head. "You will remove yourself from my path, or I shall irreparably damage you."

The changeling didn't budge. He took a deep breath and stared imploringly at Starfire. Raven could see her friend's indecision: she didn't know what to do. The three conversing Titans had drawn attention. There were Ravens, Starfires, Beast Boys, and Robins staring at the scene, their fights amongst each other eclipsed by the horrifying prospect of one of their number lying headless on the floor of the Observation Room. First Cyborg, now possibly Raven, and it looked like Beast Boy was heading in the same direction.

"I'm not moving," Beast Boy said. "This won't help. If we start fighting each other instead of only fighting our look-alikes, we're going to make a mistake. We'll kill the wrong person and then we'll have to live with that for as long as we manage to stay alive. I'm not moving, Star. Please. Don't do this. Don't let Seth win."

The redhead glared at Beast Boy. "You were not so adamant about refraining from attacking each other when you assisted that imitation in the murder of my friend." The green boy's head sunk to his chest. Raven saw a tear run down the contours of his young face before soaking into the light layer of fur that covered his body.

"It was hard to do. I… I didn't know that the body would still be here. I thought it would vanish or something. I helped Raven because I know – don't ask me how, but I do – that this is the real Raven." He pointed to Raven, and her two remaining clones quickly objected. The room was swallowed by blinding white light as one of the Robins threw a flash-bang.

"That's enough!" the Boy Wonder bellowed. "Starfire, get away from Beast Boy. He's right. We can't risk this turning into an outright brawl." One of the other Beast Boys tapped the acrobat's shoulder.

"Dude, it's because that guy helped that Raven kill the other Raven that we're even having this conversation." The changeling pointed from Beast Boy, to Raven, to her fallen opponent for emphasis. The empath glared at the changeling. It could be Beast Boy, but the green boy wasn't helping to defuse the situation. She glanced at the boy with the number 1 etched onto his chest and realized something: there were only two Beast Boys in the gathered crowd. The boy next to her made three.

Someone was missing.

She flew into the air immediately, her sharp violet eyes scanning the crowd. The Starfire who'd been threatening Beast Boy and her shouted up after her. A starbolt shot past Raven's head, but the sorceress, accustomed to Starfire and all her battle tactics from years of living and working alongside the Tamaranian princess, knew that she missed on purpose. A warning shot. Raven's self-appointed ally grabbed Starfire's fist and forced it down, preventing a second starbolt.

"What's up, Rae?" he called up to her. She didn't answer. She counted the people below her. There were three Robins staring at her and one unconscious one on the floor. Four Starfires. Two Ravens. Three Beast Boys.

"Has anyone killed a Beast Boy?" she shouted to the crowd of heroes. Her teammates and their clones looked around, realizing what Raven was getting at. The empath's gaze darted around the Observation Room. She couldn't see a body. The sorceress locked eyes with each changeling, receiving a shrug from each in turn. She looked from one green boy to the next, noting the oxidized blood, the bite mark on the lower lip, the tangled nest of forest green hair. What she didn't see was someone with a large gash in them, the type of wound that would be left by a machete.

Raven paled. She stared down at the obsidian blade in her hand. She'd attacked one of the Beast Boys with it, and now the changeling was conspicuously absent. The weapon fell to the glistening floor, clattered against the white stone, and vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Oh, Azar… No. No. No, no, no." Raven floated back to the ground, shaking her head all the way. Tears began to sting at the corners of her eyes, and the distraught sorceress was helpless to hold them at bay. The Beast Boy with the 1 on his chest was a perfect likeness of the real thing, the projections got better with time and interaction, she'd known that all along, but she now realized the truth: she'd attacked the real Beast Boy. She'd stabbed him. And now he was missing.

"Beast Boy!" she cried, looking around for the changeling. "Beast Boy! Please, answer me. Tell me you can hear me." The projection with the 1 on his chest stepped forward, his brow knitted in confusion and concern.

"Rae, I'm right here."

"Not you!" Raven spat. White energy erupted from the empath's eyes, and the approaching changeling was lifted from his feet and thrown backward. He crashed onto the floor and slid backward. Everybody was looking at Raven, she could feel her friends' uneasiness about being around her. She was acting emotional, something she tried very hard never to do, and crazy. The Starfire who'd threatened her nodded.

"I am thankful that it is truly you, friend. And it is fortunate that you no longer fear expressing your feelings." The redhead smiled and wrapped Raven in a hug. The empath blinked away her tears and returned the hug. She was afraid to let go, afraid that Seth would seize Starfire and cart her away again if they stopped touching. Finally, the demoness broke the embrace. She needed to find Beast Boy.

The Observation Room was engulfed by her magic. Raven started to pry, sorting through her friends' presences. Her senses were useless and her empathetic powers couldn't lead her to the boy, but her powers would adhere to anything that she believed she was supposed to find. If there was a projection of the real Beast Boy in the room, she'd find it by process of elimination.

The sorceress' magic drew back to her slowly, releasing the Titans as she sorted through them. Then there was nothing left. Raven couldn't see any evidence of her power still in the room, the maddening white had reasserted itself, but she still felt as if she were wrapped around something.

Something microscopic.

Raven widened the sphere of magic that was around the tiny speck she felt, and a black orb appeared on one of her clone's shoulders. She drew the orb toward her, and it flew from the Raven duplicate. Using a trick she'd learned from Malchior, the demoness transformed Beast Boy back to his human form.

The changeling appeared on the floor, his face ashen and his abdomen coated in blood. He'd transformed into an ameba to minimize blood loss and cell damage. As a single-celled organism, there was no blood, no internal organs, and minimal to nonexistent brain function. Raven smiled at how ingenious the boy lying before her was. For all his immaturity, bad jokes, and poor confidence, he was amazing. Raven ran to the boy, Starfire fast on her heels. The crowd of Titans watching them didn't move.

Raven checked for Beast Boy's pulse. She could feel something, but it was faint. She shook her head. That didn't mean anything: her senses were only telling her what she expected by analyzing the amount of blood on the boy, the pallor of his face, and the length of time since the injury.

"He needs a doctor," Raven whispered.

"He needs to be gotten rid of," one of Beast Boy's projections said, stepping forward. The empath glared at the boy.

"He is the real Beast Boy. You are nothing!" She glared at the Ravens, Starfires, and Beast Boys watching her. She knew she was herself, and she knew she'd found the real Starfire and Beast Boy.

"What do you suggest now, Raven?" Starfire whispered. The shock of discovering the headless Raven and the critically injured Beast Boy was wearing off. It wouldn't be long before the battle broke out again. Raven clenched her right hand into a fist and placed Beast Boy's hand on top of it. Starfire followed suit.

"Our minds are here, but our bodies are still in our dimension. Our senses tell us what we expect to be told, but that doesn't mean it's real." Raven focused and bronze light began to shine in her fist. Against her will, her fist loosened, as if something had been placed in it. The empath took her hand away from her teammates' and opened it. The Mark of Chaos glinted up at her, sparkling with untapped energy. She squeezed her hand shut and glared at the people around her.

"I am the real Raven," she announced. "The other three are nothing." Bronze light blinded Raven as it sped out into the white expanse of the Observation Room. The headless body and the two other Ravens vanished as if they'd never existed. The demoness extended her hand to Starfire, offering the powerful rune. The alien girl grasped it firmly.

"I declare myself to be the only true Koriand'r, princess and former Grand Ruler of Tamaran." The remaining Starfires vanished.

"Any other takers?" Raven called to the remaining Titans. Only Robins and Beast Boys remained. There was a shuffling amongst the Robins and one of them came forward. The Boy Wonder's mask was torn, and his body was peppered with bruises. Despite the damage to his mask, the boy's eyes remained hidden.

"I hope this isn't one of Seth's tricks," he sighed, taking the Mark from Starfire. "I'm Robin. The rest of you… get lost. Game over." The three masked acrobats disappeared in a flash of light. Raven glared at the Beast Boy with the 1 on his chest.

"Here's your chance: if you're the real Beast Boy, your physical body should still be touching the Mark of Chaos, and you should be able to get rid of Seth's astral forgeries. But you're nothing but an imitation designed to trick me into attacking my family." The changeling was quiet for a second.

"You always were smarter than me, Rae."

"Only Beast Boy's allowed to call me that!" the empath hissed. The forgery before her was wrong: transforming into an ameba was the most intelligent thing Raven had ever seen Beast Boy do. And he'd done a lot of amazing (and admittedly not so amazing) things in the time she'd known him.

"You're proud of yourselves, Titans?" the projection sneered. "It doesn't matter that you've figured out how to identify each other. The damage is done." Robin stepped toward the fake Beast Boy, his fists clenched.

"We won your sick game, Seth."

"You haven't, actually," one of the other projections said, stepping toward Raven and Starfire. "You only win once you've killed all the clones. Those declarations of yours were touching, but Beast Boy's in no condition to make any such claims. Do you have what it takes to kill all three of us?"

Starfire straightened and got between the Beast Boy and the clone. They needed to protect the real Beast Boy. If he died here, then he was gone. The Tamaranian locked eyes with the clone.

"Had you asked us such a question a few weeks ago, we would have been unable to honestly say we could slay someone who looked so much like one of our friends, but you have rid us of such inhibitions, Seth."

All three changelings laughed. They sounded exactly like Beast Boy.

"I don't think so, Star," the best projection said, the projection with the 1 on his chest. "You remember what it feels like to kill. You've got all those memories from when you were roaming the streets like a rabid animal. It's hard to do."

Robin drew two birderangs from his utility belt and locked the two projectiles together, creating a sturdy long sword.

"You're underestimating us," the Boy Wonder growled.

ooooo

The television had been reporting the same lack of information for hours. Slade was only listening with half an ear.

"As of yet there is no indication to what caused the disaster–"

"Preliminary reports from the NSA have placed the body count in the United States alone at over 85 million–"

"First hand reports from survivors in Jump City, California have indicated that the Teen Titans had something to do with the phenomena's reversal–"

"The body of the Teen Titan known as Cyborg has been found–"

Slade's head snapped to the side at the sound of sizzling flesh. The masked assassin watched as the four Titans' hands began to burn. He'd been careful when transporting the heroes to make sure they stayed in contact with the Mark of Chaos. It had taken longer than he'd expected, but Raven finally figured out how to use the artifact. Now the Mark was activated to its full potential.

Seth would be hurting.

The allegedly dead sociopath watched as the Mark of Chaos grew brighter and brighter. He had to shield his eye to avoid retinal damage. The bronze light grew to amber. Amber grew to gold. Gold turned to white, and still the Mark of Chaos burned hotter and brighter, peeling the flesh from the Titans' hands. Slade reached out and knocked the rune to the floor. The light faded until only bronze light danced across the surface of the ancient stone like stray electric current.

Slade turned off the television and stood abruptly. He scooped up the Mark of Chaos and slipped it into a pouch on his belt – right next to the Mark of Death. The man couldn't help but spare himself a small smile. He had the beginnings of quite a nice collection. Slade strode with purpose to the tower's mainframe computer and pulled up all information on the security footage. It was a simple matter to erase all electronic records of his presence at the tower and set the security cameras on a timed loop. He had twenty minutes until the cameras started recording things as they actually were.

Slade pulled up Cyborg's memory and cleared all record of his initial installation and their conversation. The masked villain strode out of the room and headed for the archives in the basement. Slade and Robin were very alike, no matter how much the young detective denied it, and Slade would never trust electronic records alone for security. Those could be erased, forged, or compromised. There would be hard copies of security footage in the basement.

ooooo

Raven ducked underneath the gorilla's fist, backpedaling to keep away from the muscular primate's crippling blows. It swung again, twisting its hips like a boxer to put extra power behind the punch. She ducked again. Mid-swing, the ape began to shift into an Ankylosaurus. The armored dinosaur's clubbed tail slammed into Raven's ribcage and sent her flying. Before she could right herself, one of the other projections, this one in the form of a kangaroo, slammed into her, kicking out with all the force it could. Raven crashed into the Basin. The empath regained her senses to see a hippopotamus charging her, its head swinging from side to side. She could just imagine the devastating impact a full frontal assault would have on her.

The demoness prepared herself, calling upon her powers and ready to stop the raging beast in its tracks. When it was only a few meters from Raven, the hippopotamus was replaced by a squirrel. Raven tried to seize the rodent with her powers, but it was too small and too fast. It jumped, transformed into a king cobra, and opened its mouth wide. Against her will, Raven screamed. The deadly snake was struck by Starfire's eyebeams and careened into the maddening whiteness.

The Tamaranian's momentary assistance left her vulnerable to the Beast Boy she'd been fighting, and the large mountain goat crashed into her stomach, winding the redhead. Raven opened a portal behind Starfire, and the girl was thrown backward into it. The empath opened the portal and deposited her friend out of harm's way.

Raven saw Robin fending off a lion with his long sword out of the corner of her eye. The goat that had attacked Starfire charged at Raven, its hoofed feet clattering against the floor. She shot a spike of black magic at the animal, but it morphed into a hummingbird and darted around the attack.

"Starfire! I could use a little help," Raven called as another spike of energy formed at her fingertips.

"One thousand apologies, friend, but I am previously engaged," Starfire called back, already fighting the projection she'd thrown across the room with her eyebeams.

The hummingbird darted forward. Raven fired at her avian attacker, but it swerved to the side and morphed into an armadillo. The green mammal curled into a tight ball before colliding with Raven's head. As it fell to the ground, the Beast Boy projection morphed into a barracuda. The fanged fish's teeth sunk into Raven's arm. She cried out with pain as its teeth sunk deeper and deeper into her flesh. Then the pressure alleviated; the clone had turned back into something that could breathe air.

Raven blinked through the tears and saw a horse in front of her. It was a small horse, but rapidly getting larger and larger. The stallion's hind legs slammed into Raven's torso, and she was thrown back. She didn't even feel it when she hit the floor.

The injured girl couldn't breathe. She felt nothing but pain. It throbbed in her injured arm from the bite, it stabbed at her solar plexus and her left breast where the stallion's hooves had landed, and it pulsed in her skull from the armadillo collision. She'd never known Beast Boy was so tough.

Beast Boy had spent hours during their celebration of Trigon's defeat recounting how hard it had been to fight himself. She hadn't understood until now. The changeling was a powerhouse. He could turn into any animal, but it was more than that: he was smart. He could turn a crippling blow from one of the world's most deadly predators into a series of blows. She'd seen him do it. She was currently on the receiving end and losing. Raven looked up when a shadow fell across her. There was a Grizzly bear looming over her, its mouth open and rank breath coming from its powerful maw.

"Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos…" Raven gasped. She could barely get the words out, but it was enough: a claw of energy erupted from her hand and caught the Grizzly as it lunged toward her. The massive omnivore was sent hurdling into the air. Raven felt the strain on her powers worsen as Beast Boy's mass increased. She ground her teeth together in concentration. It was too much, and her powers failed, her psyche over-taxed by the confrontation.

There was a humpback whale plummeting toward her.

Starfire raced over Raven, grabbed her leg, and dragged the exhausted sorceress out of the way of the mammal. When the gentle ocean giant realized its prey was gone, it morphed into a hawk and gave chase to the retreating heroines. Starfire glanced over her shoulder and put on an extra burst of speed, throwing starbolts at the hawk with her free hand.

Raven watched the hawk get closer. She tried to focus on the bird, but her head was light and her vision fuzzy. Robin was on the opposite side of the Observation Room. His sword was in pieces on the ground, and he was jumping and rolling to avoid the rhinoceros that was charging him. The Boy Wonder was working in wide circles around Beast Boy's unconscious form. Raven realized with a jolt that Robin was fighting an enraged rhinoceros, Starfire and she were running away from a vicious hawk, but nobody was protecting Beast Boy from the projection striding toward him.

She squeezed her eyes shut. Dormant power coursed from the demoness, and she freed herself from Starfire's grasp. Raven raced toward the hawk, and the bird's dimensions began to shift. The empath was ready. With a concentrated burst of magic, Raven phased through the animal sailing toward her. Starfire doubled back to engage the projection.

The demoness neared Beast Boy's body. The projection with the 1 on his chest was sneering down at the changeling. He started to transform: scales erupted across the projection's body; his teeth grew and his head began to shift; his nose elongated. Soon there was a crocodile next to Beast Boy. The reptile opened its massive jaw, and Raven lost herself to the pain and the rage.

Seth couldn't kill Beast Boy. She wouldn't allow it. Cyborg was already dead. The scars of Seth's madness were already everywhere, but she wouldn't let the Entity destroy Beast Boy. Not now that she was beginning to understand how important he was to her. The green boy had grown on her.

"AZARATH! METRION! ZINTHOS!" Raven yelled. The crocodile was lifted from the ground and jettisoned from Beast Boy's body. The reptile morphed into its human form, and Beast Boy's clone did a neat back flip, landing in a crouch and sliding backward without missing a beat. He smirked at Raven as she hovered over her unconscious teammate.

The projection stood up and started walking in a wide arch around Raven and Beast Boy. He eyed Raven apprehensively, but the look he was giving Beast Boy's helpless form was far worse. Raven had seen it in the eyes of known sex offenders as they looked at pictures of small children; she'd seen the same avarice and obsession on the faces of criminals pulling a big heist and seeing their prize for the first time. It was the look of a predator stalking its prey, confident that it was only a matter of time, skill, and patience before they got exactly what they wanted. Raven would die before Seth took Beast Boy. The changeling had to know that, but it did nothing to wipe the smirk from his face.

"Rae–"

"Beast Boy calls me that. I'm Raven to you."

"You're going to be dead in a few minutes. You really want to waste that time debating who gets to use your pet name?" He chuckled at the bruises rising on her pale skin and the blood flowing from her arm. "You don't look too good, Rae."

"I've been through worse," Raven answered coldly. The boy nodded.

"Being Trigon's portal was worse, but you only recovered from that disaster because of Robin. He can't help you this time. He can barely hold his own." Without thinking about it, Raven turned her head to where she'd last seen Robin. The Boy Wonder slid into her field of vision, and she turned further to check on her leader. A large green beast covered in a thick shag mane barreled after the boy. The Beast crashed into Robin before he could even stand, and the young acrobat rolled along the floor of the Observation Room like tumbleweed.

Raven turned back to her opponent and realized too late that he'd used her concern over Robin as a distraction. A massive green hand wrapped around her waist and squeezed the breath from her lungs. The empath was faced with her own version of The Beast. The primal creature slammed her into the ground, and what was left of Raven's breath left her in a rush. She tried to gasp out an incantation, but the projection's other fist slammed into her face. Stars peppered her vision, and blood flowed from her newly broken nose.

She suffered blow after blow after blow. Raven lost track of how many times she'd been hit. After the fourth strike, she'd lost the ability to defend herself. She just wanted it to stop. Her mind was lost in a fog of pain, and she was no longer aware of her other injuries. Even the location of her hands and feet was shrouded in mystery.

Suddenly the pain stopped. Raven stayed prone on the ground, gasping as the green carpet that had been over her was replaced by an expanse of blinding white. Distantly, the empath could hear Starfire's starbolts and The Beast's howls. The Tamaranian had saved her. Raven tried to sit up, but the slightest motion made her feel nauseous.

There was something she was forgetting. Something important. Raven tried to focus, but the effort made her head throb painfully. Beneath the din of battle, she could hear somebody laughing. It was a high-pitched, slightly nasally sound. A smile tugged the corners of her mouth. Whatever she was forgetting had something to do with that sound – or maybe the person or thing responsible for making the sound. Raven squeezed her eyes shut in the hopes of remembering more.

Beast Boy.

Raven turned onto her side with great effort and saw Beast Boy lying on the ground a few meters from her. Using the last vestiges of her strength, she crawled to the boy. Raven grabbed a hold of Beast Boy's hand and let her body shut down. There was only one last thing to do. She couldn't help anymore with this fight, but she could still be useful. The empath whispered her three magic words and then blacked out.

Robin chucked an ice disk at his opponent and used its momentary hibernation to take stock of the Observation Room. There was a dead Beast smoking next to the Basin, and Starfire was engaged in a fierce blow-for-blow match with the other projection.

The Boy Wonder gasped when he saw Raven and Beast Boy. They were both covered in blood, apparently unconscious. Before his very eyes, Robin watched two of his teammates vanish. They melted out of the Observation Room, and he was helpless to stop it. Ice began to crack behind him, and Robin drew two disks from his utility belt. One was a powerful impact explosive rivaling the destructive power of C-4. The other was a harnessed, concentrated, and magnified sonic pulse. When The Beast broke free from its icy prison, Robin was ready with a patented Titans' Sonic Boom.

ooooo

Raven opened her eyes to a familiar sight: she was sitting on the couch in Titans' Tower. The windows looked out at Jump City. The city was perfectly in order, it was all too tempting to forget what had happened. The empath breathed a sigh of relief. Robin, Starfire, and Beast Boy were sitting next to her.

As she looked at her teammates, Raven realized that everything was covered in a light tan sheen, an envelope of barely perceptible magic. Everything wasn't as normal as it seemed. Just as Raven was preparing to stand and investigate the room, a voice stopped her.

"I'll explain once the others wake up." It was a soft, feminine voice that reminded Raven of an overly strict librarian. The sorceress looked behind her. There was a petite woman with long black hair sitting before the tower's mainframe computer. A large tome was resting in her lap, and a gorgeous golden amicus was perched atop the book. Without asking, Raven knew she was looking at the Entity of Order. Temple smiled at Raven.

The other Titans woke slowly. Raven kept turning toward the woman behind her, intent on opening her mouth to speak, to ask one of the many questions currently boiling under her skin and consuming her senses, but every single time, against her will, her mouth, once open, would close. The tan light shimmered over her innocently. Raven knew better.

Starfire stirred first. The cheerful Tamaranian opened her eyes and blinked at the dead television before her. Raven took her friend's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. The redhead opened her mouth, and Raven watched at it was forced shut again. The girl blinked, puzzled, before trying again. The same thing happened again. Raven nodded toward Temple, who was busily reading her book and idly sliding beads down the length of her amicus every few minutes. When all four of the Titans regained consciousness, Temple spoke.

"You'll be glad to know that Seth has been dealt with. I promise you he won't be attacking this dimension again during your lifetimes."

Robin snorted. "Is that supposed to reassure us? The damage is done. I still remember everything that happened, and it's a fair assumption that everybody remembers what that horrific world was like."

Raven felt her stomach sink as Robin spoke. A small part of her recognized the fact the moment she awoke, but the brutal reality was sickening.

Seth had won.

Red clouds might not be circling the sky anymore, but the people who'd died, the people who'd been murdered, they were dead and gone. The horrors people had lived through were still lurking in their minds to plague their waking hours and their dreams. It would take decades for everyone scarred by Seth's actions to heal. It would be centuries before the damage was undone.

Only Trigon had ever reversed death. Raven knew how to prolong life, she could cheat death in theory, but there was no way to resurrect the dead. Necromancy was nothing but a depraved fantasy. Even when Slade had been brought back from the dead, he'd only possessed the basest mockery of life.

She tried to understand why Seth was allowed to do what he did. There were twelve Entities. Somebody should have stopped him. The Entities existed through balance. According to Slade, they competed with each other for power. Raven shuddered as her intuition made a sickening leap: for Temple to get stronger and stay that way, Seth would need to get stronger as well – otherwise they'd continue to go back and forth in a game of tug-of-war. If Seth got to mentally scar billions of people on earth and trillions across the dimension and Temple got to benefit from a renewed sense of purpose and unity as people began to heal and rebuild, then both of them would profit. Raven stared at Temple, appalled by her suspicions. All the horror she'd been through was purely political.

"It should reassure you," Temple said. "Seth's dangerous, and you hurt him – a lot. He's looking for revenge, but he can't get it because of me."

"You are the Entity of Order, correct?" Starfire asked.

"Temple. But yes." Temple's gaze wandered from one Titan to the next. She shook her head when she got to Raven; the empath was glaring at the Entity with venomous intent. Temple was acting like their savior, but Raven knew the truth. She wanted to shout, she wanted to rage and scream and make her friends aware of the scheming witch before them. The demoness' mouth wouldn't open.

"I can't help you with the aftermath of this disaster. I just wanted to say thank you and congratulations. Seth's a skillful opponent. I've spent billions of years trying to beat him back and gain even the tiniest shred of influence. It's hard. Without your help, I'd never had succeeded."

"I just wanted to tell you, whether you know it or not or whether or not you care, that the bigger picture is better because of you. There are entire dimensions that are better off because of the events in this dimension. You can't see it, you'll never benefit from it, but I thought it might help you put things in perspective."

Raven continued to glare at Temple. The woman was trying to placate her. The others didn't know what she knew. They didn't know Seth's reign had been precipitated by the woman before them.

"The aura around you is keeping your minds and your bodies slightly separated. All the pain your astral forms experienced will be transferred to your nervous system. Once I let you go, you'll be in pain… from the battle and from the burns on your hands."

They all turned their attention to their hands simultaneously. Raven would have gasped at what she saw if Temple wasn't still keeping her mouth shut. She hadn't felt the burn at all when she woke up, but glancing down at her slender palm, Raven could see where her flesh had been peeled away. She was missing muscle. Raven stared down at her hand and flexed it experimentally. The sorceress could see the bones moving. She looked away quickly. That was going to hurt a lot. Raven watched her friends' reactions. Her burn was the worse by far.

"Please, how did my friends receive these injuries?" Starfire asked. The Tamaranian only had a tan where a burn should have been; her peoples' natural resistance to extreme temperatures had clearly served her well.

"When Raven activated Seth's Mark, a lot of power was released."

"And large fluxes in the amount of energy available in a system most frequently correspond to dramatic increases in thermal radiation," Starfire said, nodding.

Beast Boy shook his head. Starfire's intimate knowledge of physics and chemistry was sharply at odds with her general ignorance of basic human culture. The changeling poked at his burned hand. His glove had been peeled away, part of the fabric had welded itself to his skin, and the green fur that covered his body was conspicuously absent.

Temple cocked her head. "That's correct. Your friends were burned because their bodies couldn't withstand the temperatures emitted by the Mark of Chaos."

"So where's the Mark now?" Robin asked.

"Dude," Beast Boy said. "If it did this to our hands, what do you think it did to itself?" The Boy Wonder frowned. Raven could tell he had doubts about that theory. So did she.

"I wanted to be here when you woke up. Just so you weren't in pain and confused," Temple sighed. "I can't stay here for very long. Good luck, Titans. I'm counting on you to do your job. I took care of Seth; you take care of this." Without another word, Temple vanished from the tower, and she took her tan aura with her.

Pain pulsed through Raven's hand, and the empath cried out. It was unbearable. She'd been burned before, she'd broken bones, she'd been electrocuted, she'd been torn apart molecule by molecule, but the agony in her hand was more concentrated and much sharper than any sensation she'd ever felt. The burn wasn't a natural one. By instinct, her healing powers kicked in, and soothing blue magic began to pulse through her hand, clearing the burn of possible infections and replacing the skin and muscle than had been removed. Once the burn was partially healed, she began to feel the pain she'd suffered in the Observation Room.

Robin was next to Raven, his undamaged hand flying through the compartments of his utility belt. The Boy Wonder started applying a putrid yellow gel to the burn. Beast Boy shrieked once from the burn before transforming into a toad. The amphibian used its tongue to flick open a small canister on Robin's belt, and highly pressurized liquid poured over it. Starfire watched her friends with concerned emerald eyes. The cheerful alien girl flexed her uninjured hand experimentally. She had to be in pain from the battle, but the Tamaranian refused to show it.

"I must leave you for a time. If Seth's influence was felt throughout the entirety of this dimension, I will be needed at home. I shall remain in regular contact with you and return as soon as I can." Before anyone could move to stop her, Starfire had shot out of the room.

Raven turned her attention to Robin and Beast Boy once her hand was healed. The empath was exhausted, the mental effort of her confrontation with Seth and the projections was quickly descending on her, but she needed to take the sting off her friends' pain.

There was a thud from up on the roof, and Raven glanced in the sound's direction. Starfire had fallen out of the sky. Beast Boy changed back into his human form and yawned. The changeling's eyes drooped shut, and Robin's head fell to his chest. Raven struggled to stay awake.

"What just happened?" Beast Boy asked around another monstrous yawn.

"We got played. Seth. Slade. Us. We were all trying to get control, we were trying to manipulate our way to the top. Seth wasn't in control… Temple used him. And she used us to beat him."

Raven closed her eyes and leaned back against the couch. She knew Temple wouldn't let Seth attack again. She needed everyone alive to rebuild; that was how she planned to get stronger. All the pain had been for nothing. All the fighting was just a way to fall into a trap. The empath felt herself being dragged off to sleep. They'd all been trying to manipulate the situation, but Temple had controlled and predicted every single thing they did.

"Rae," Beast Boy whispered. "You were right. It wasn't the end." Before Raven fell asleep, she couldn't help but wonder if they'd staved off the end or if the end was only beginning. It would be hard to rebuild, perhaps impossible.

* * *

**AN:** Like I said, this would have been a mean ending. But in one or two chapters, we'll be done. So, what do you guys think about a sequel?


	11. Chapter 11

I got into Fanfiction because of people just like myself. It occurred to me that I was reading some stories that were novel quality work. Not everything was a gem, but there were people just like me writing amazing stories. It occurred to me that maybe I could do the same thing. I was a reader and reviewer on this cite long before I was a writer; I was a silent reader long before I ever reviewed a thing. During that time, I read some exquisite works that got forgotten or abandoned by their authors. As a reader, I felt let down. I swore I would never let down my reading base - if I was good enough to get one.

This is all by way of saying I am ashamed that it has been over a year since I updated Darkness Calls. For those of you who haven't lost interest during my hiatus, there is one more chapter on the horizon.

Now that my rant's done... Enjoy!

* * *

"Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use."

~Earl Nightingale (1921-1989)

**Darkness Calls: Chapter 11**

The forest was thrumming with humidity and the incessant buzz of cicadas. Ancient poplars created an enclave in the otherwise chaotic Luxembourgian city. Outside the clearing, life limped onward, determined to resume a sense of normalcy following Seth's brief reign. Inside the clearing, anticipation hung thick in the air, suspended between the meaty boughs of ageless vegetation. People were crammed together in the forest like sardines in a can, and Raven tried not to flinch away from the bodies pressing in on her from all sides.

This was uncomfortable.

The empath didn't want to be here. The people around her were lost and hopeless, desperately awaiting the clarion call of Reverend Eugene Krause. That was what he called himself, though no clergy on the planet would claim the man or his ranting.

A hush fell over the crowd, and Raven strained her neck to see. The man was dressed in sweeping black robes adorned with maddening swirls of bronze sequence. His hair looped and curled atop his head in a sick parody of his clothing. Krause was a diminutive man, and he didn't start to speak until his associate, a black Adonis with a horrifying scar bisecting his face, lifted him onto his shoulders.

"People, hear me!" Krause called. Despite his size, Reverend Eugene Krause's voice was clear and powerful, echoing through the clearing and instantly silencing everyone. Raven's ears perked up. "Brothers and sisters, thank you for coming. Thank you for daring to believe as I believe and see as I see."

Raven tried to keep up with the thunderous voice. Krause was speaking German, a language the demoness knew but hadn't recently practiced, and she found herself lolled by the ebb and flow of the small man's voice. It was lyrical, tap-dancing through the air with delicious precision, every word carefully selected, every inflection a deliberate appeal to the senses. It was a voice to trust. It was a voice to believe. For the first time in her life, Raven equated the sound of spoken German with beauty.

"I see new faces here tonight. That's good. That's good. I won't call you out, but I would like to welcome each and every one of you. Be you Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindi, Buddhist, Pagan, Unitarian Universalist, Atheist, Agnostic, or something else entirely, we are gathered here today to embrace a single truth."

"It is not a nice truth. It is not a pleasant truth. But it is the truth of our time! Truth is the tool with which we forge our destiny, and the truth I wish to share with you is this: God is dead!" Silence fell over the clearing like a blanket. Nobody dared speak while Krause spoke, but even the insects fell silent at his declaration. Raven sighed. This was a tiresome speech that she already knew by heart.

Six weeks had passed since Seth withdrew his influence from the world. Martial law had been declared in California; the governor had specifically called Titans' Tower and told the young heroes to stay out of the way during the initial reconstruction. They were superheroes, but regular people needed regular heroes after something as traumatic as Seth's dystopia. While none of the Titans had been willing to admit it at the time, they were thankful for the break.

Military coups ravaged developing countries, nonprofit organizations suddenly drew in billions of dollars in donations, conspiracy theories flourished, and now it was business as usual. Raven shook her head. The desperation in the crowd was stifling.

"Whether or not God ever lived is a question I leave to wiser men," Krause went on. "But the fact of the matter is that it was Seth, the Entity of Chaos, who brought our world to its knees, and it was Temple, his counter, the Entity of Order, who made things right again. Where was God during all this?"

Several major news publications had unveiled those details days after Seth's defeat. Robin had personally travelled around the country to interrogate the reporters responsible, and all of them told the same story: they'd woken up one day with copies of Slade Wilson's articles on their beds. None of the articles gave the Titans credit for their role in Seth's defeat, something that Beast Boy was still complaining about.

Raven suspected Temple left the articles. Robin was less certain.

"When we turned on our loved ones, it was Seth who caused the treachery. And when our minds were restored, it was Temple who blessed us again with conscious thought. Where was God?"

Raven shuddered. These little groups, popping up all over the world and growing daily, gave Seth and Temple even more power than they already had. It was cult worship, plain and simple, and it scared the empath. Reverend Eugene Krause was charismatic, popular, and he was breaking no laws. Raven had checked multiple times. There was nothing she could do to stop him. The demoness started pushing through the crowd.

Once she was outside the clearing, Raven pulled her communicator from her pocket. She hadn't worn her uniform for six weeks. Raven the Teen Titan had been given an executive order to take a leave of absence, and the sorceress was more than happy to comply. She was a superhero, not a government agent. She saved individual lives and prevented the occasional Apocalypse, but global politics was a game she didn't want to play. She didn't envy Starfire and Robin's assignment.

"Raven calling Robin. Come in."

The communicator flickered with static for a moment before cutting to an image of Robin. The sky above the Boy Wonder was a sickening blend of orange and purple, and the empath realized the sun must be rising on Starfire's home planet of Tamaran.

"Robin here. What did you learn, Raven?"

"The same "God is dead" story I've gotten everywhere else you've sent me. You can't blame people. What type of God allows this to happen?"

"I'm not going to debate theology with you," Robin said. "What about the ring leader? Krause?"

Raven smiled humorlessly. "We'll be seeing more of Reverend Krause. He's an excellent speaker. More people will rally to him in time." Robin began to vent a string of profanity and Starfire relieved him of the communicator.

The alien girl looked frazzled and peaky: her ruby hair was limp and losing its sheen, her skin was unhealthy and flaking, and her eyes, once bright and full of life, had lost their luster. If the eyes were truly the windows to the soul, Starfire's soul had gone on vacation and locked all the windows and doors behind it.

"How are things going for you two?" Raven asked. Robin was still muttering in the background.

"We have run into similar problems here on Tamaran. Many of my people have lost their faith in X'hal. None have yet declared the goddess dead, but there is talk of a great evil forcing her into hibernation. The Council of Lords has been most distressing in our recent meetings."

"Does the great evil have a name?" Raven asked, already knowing the answer.

"_D'oflax_. Chaos."

Raven seethed. She'd known reconstruction was going to be difficult, she'd known Seth's little sojourn into the dimension would overshadow everything that happened for decades and even centuries to come, but if she'd know how bad the damage truly was, if she'd internalized it on an emotional level instead of a factual one, she would have given up before she even started.

"Have you found a new Grand Ruler yet?" Raven asked. Starfire frowned.

"It is no simple matter to replace the Grand Ruler of Tamaran. I was able to get away with it once because Galfore was popular with the Council and my sister was largely feared and hated. Now that my _k'norfka_ is dead, I am the only person with the popular and political support to prevent Blackfire from attempting another takeover."

"My intelligence officers recently discovered that my sister escaped custody during Seth's reign. She may not have survived, but if she did, Tamaran is in danger." Starfire recited these facts with little emotion, delivering them in the same tired voice that a bored receptionist might use to give directions down a clearly labeled hallway.

"I know it's not easy," Raven said. "You've got responsibilities, and all of us are behind you one hundred percent until things can be sorted out. I just miss you, Starfire."

"I miss you as well, friend. Now, please, go home. Beast Boy called earlier for assistance. Apparently the main computer terminal is still not functioning properly." The empath tried to smile before snapping her communicator shut. Her facial muscles didn't want to obey.

ooooo

Beast Boy was in the living room when Raven entered, and the demoness smirked as she watched the changeling tinker with the computer. The green boy's brow was furrowed, and his neck muscles were beginning to knot, betray his prolonged hovering over the machine. Raven walked up behind the boy and watched him work. Like her, Beast Boy hadn't worn his uniform in weeks. The only things he refused to get rid of were his gloves.

"Starfire said you might need a little help?"

Beast Boy sighed and pushed away from the computer.

"Be my guest. This is driving me insane!"

Raven took a moment to study her friend. He was tired and obviously frustrated. The changeling had been trying to get the main terminal back online for over a week, but for all his efforts, the monitor remained black and unresponsive. Raven draped her arms around the boy's shoulders, clasping her hands at his navel. He leaned back into the embrace automatically, taking comfort from the brief contact. Raven pecked him on the cheek before directing her attention toward the unresponsive machine.

Raven's relationship with Beast Boy was awkward. There was no other way to put it. Neither one of them wanted things to be awkward, neither one of them intended for things to be weird, but after their brief encounter in the water treatment plant, neither one of them knew what to do next. The sheer mass of all the things left unsaid between the heroes erected a wall between them.

They would brush hands while working around the tower and a spark would surge through their young bodies, overpowering their senses. Instead of doing something about it, they'd blush and turn away, afraid of the change in their relationship and what it might mean. Beast Boy would come up behind Raven while she was meditating and gently rub her shoulders. She'd tense up, all thoughts of emptying her mind flying out the window. They'd trade furtive glances and chaste kisses, but their physical relationship was stuck in neutral. Both wanted more. Neither knew how much more or how to get it.

Raven was in uncharted emotional territory, and she was perpetually torn between being thrilled and terrified by the intoxicating tide of emotions that engulfed her senses when Beast Boy was close to her.

The demoness shook her head and looked into the computer's wiring. Nothing seemed broken and all the wires seemed in order. Robin, Raven, and Beast Boy had all looked at the computer and all three had come to the conclusion that the machine wasn't working. None of them had any idea what might be causing the problems. While Raven reexamined the machine, Beast Boy got up and stretched. There were audible pops as his neck and spine straightened to their normal postures. Raven flinched at the sound.

"We could really use Cyborg right now," Beast Boy griped, moving into the kitchen. "He'd know how to fix it." Raven nodded absently. Cyborg had built Titans' Tower from the skeleton of an alien spaceship that crashed on the island, and he'd integrated his own circuitry with the otherworldly technology. Literally, the cybernetic teen put himself into his work. There wasn't a single thing about the tower that the deceased hero didn't know by rote memory.

Cyborg's remains were in the corner. His central processor was collecting dust, and a metal cable was coiled around the machinery like a fat snake. Raven blinked at the cable. With a wave of her hand, she encased the processor in black magic, and the machine sped across the room. The sorceress deposited the remains of her friend on the floor and grabbed the cable. Raven had Beast Boy's attention now, and the elf watched while munching on a celery stick. The empath jacked the cable into the computer, struggling to find the appropriate interface amidst the nest of color-coded wires.

"Rae, what are you doing?"

"Waiting."

She rebooted the computer and stood back. Beast Boy walked over and popped a final bite into his mouth. They waited for a minute before he broke the silence.

"What are we waiting for?"

"I don't know. I thought maybe… Never mind." Beast Boy put a gloved hand on Raven's shoulder and rubbed back and forth along her collarbone. She leaned into the gesture, craning her neck and giving Beast Boy unfettered access to the pale flesh.

"I miss him too," Beast Boy said, moving closer until Raven could feel the heat of his breath. Gently, shyly, the changeling kissed Raven's neck, his hand never ceasing its soothing caress. "I really miss him. There isn't a day that goes by… I feel horrible about where we left off with him."

Raven nodded and turned to face Beast Boy. Drawing from courage she didn't know she had, the sorceress leaned in and pressed her lips against the changeling's. They lingered there, barely touching, before Beast Boy deepened the kiss. Raven enjoyed the sensation, drinking in the green boy. With a tiny surge of mental energy, the empath encased her tongue in magic and allowed the cold to creep into her mouth. Beast Boy pulled back and shivered. Raven chuckled at the boy's reaction, smirking as the changeling's heightened animal senses reacted to the unnaturalness of her demonic power.

"That is so weird."

"Bad weird?"

"I'm not sure. Let me double check."

Beast Boy kissed Raven again, and the sorceress reacted slowly. The changeling's sudden aggressiveness was pleasant but unexpected, and Raven kissed him back hungrily once her senses returned. She added her magic to the mix after a while, and this time Beast Boy didn't break the kiss. She could feel his unease with her powers; he'd always had a subconscious and primal response to her magic. The peach-like fuzz that covered the boy's body stood on end, and Raven grinned as the hair around Beast Boy's lips prickled against her lips.

They broke for air and Beast Boy whistled.

"It's definitely weird. I couldn't take it all the time, but that's… that's an experience!" Raven smirked at the changeling, making the boy twitch. "Rae? Rae, let's talk about this."

"Does it hurt?"

"No, but–"

"How uncomfortable does it make you on a scale of one to ten? One being not at all, ten being the most uncomfortable you have ever been in your life."

"Four or five."

"Okay," Raven said. "Now we're done talking."

Before Beast Boy could say anything else, black magic began to creep up his body. The changeling tried to move, but his feet were frozen to the ground. Inch by inch, Raven encased Beast Boy's body with her powers, enjoying the extra information her empathetic abilities could glean from the green boy while in direct physical contact with him.

"Say the word and I'll stop," Raven said. Half of Beast Boy's torso was already covered. The changeling opened his mouth and closed it again, just like Raven knew he would. The boy's emotions were going haywire. Fear, nervousness, happiness, stubbornness, affection, trust. They went back and forth in a constant volley, struggling for supremacy over the teen's emotional landscape. When he didn't say anything, Raven continued to wrap Beast Boy in the magical cocoon.

Raven stopped when the magic reached Beast Boy's neck. His entire body was covered, but more importantly, his clothing was covered. The empath smiled fondly at her friend and thought about what she was doing. It could easily backfire. Instead of reacting playfully and enjoying a little joke, Beast Boy might get angry. Throwing caution to the wind, Raven opened a portal to the green boy's room.

It took Beast Boy a moment to realize what had happened, and his face heated up instantly. His hands darted south to cover his crotch, but Raven had enough time to get a good look anyway.

"Rae!" Beast Boy cried, looking around desperately for his clothes. "Not cool! Where'd you put my clothes?"

"They're in your room," Raven replied easily, unable to control her chuckles. It wasn't that Beast Boy's body was funny, the boy's body was hot, but his reaction was priceless. The changeling turned and began to hightail it from the room. Raven watched his retreating form, enjoying the way his back muscles rippled as he moved. The demoness reached under her shirt and began to unclasp her bra.

"Beast Boy, please, don't leave. You showed me yours. Wouldn't you like to see mine?" The changeling shot a glance over his shoulder and froze. Raven pulled her bra from under her shirt and tossed the undergarment off toward the kitchen. Then she shucked her shirt in a fluid motion, throwing the fabric on top of her bra once it cleared her head.

The sorceress felt distinctly uncomfortable as she undressed. They'd seen each other without their clothes on before, but that had been a heat of the moment situation. Beast Boy didn't make it any easier, rooted to the spot and watching her peel off clothing as if she were doing nothing more interesting than calling out numbers for a BINGO game. All the insecurities she'd ever had about her body surfaced in that moment, crashing to the forefront of her mind and reminding her that she wasn't perfect. Beast Boy was going to see the same imperfections she saw, that was why he hadn't said or done anything.

The changeling turned around and walked back into the room. Raven was relieved to see that his manhood, previously limp and shriveled from the cold, had elongated and was swinging between his legs. Raven smiled and let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"You're beautiful, Rae," Beast Boy said, his fingers lightly running along her cheek. He took in her entire body – the empath could sense his appreciation and taste his carnal desire – but he was looking at her face when he said it. Her heart warmed in her breast, and Raven beamed.

"You look pretty good yourself, BB."

"I like that," Beast Boy laughed. "I've always liked the nickname BB. Ever since the happy Raven gave it to me."

"And what am I? The dismal Raven?"

"You know what I mean. The pink Raven in Nevermore. I've always liked that nickname, and you were the first person to come up with it. And then you never used it. Cyborg picked it up, but you never said it. It always sounds good when you say it." Beast Boy steered Raven toward the couch and sat down. The sorceress perched next to him, taking up his personal space, much to the green boy's enjoyment.

"Well, Beast Boy, I might be able to use it more often now. On special occasions."

"Only on special occasions?" he groaned, clearly joking. The green boy's frown nearly melted Raven's heart. She giggled, feeling more girly and feminine in that moment than she remembered ever feeling.

"I feel really silly calling you BB. At least Rae is still a part of my name. It's the first syllable. BB sounds childish."

"That's why it's so perfect and why I love hearing you say it!"

Raven rolled her eyes. She was well aware that their current situation was a little strange, both sitting stark naked next to each other on the couch, but she didn't feel awkward anymore. It was a welcome change to the gut-churning nervousness that had hounded her only moments before.

"Well, BB, if I'm going to sound childish, I might as well act childish. I want to play a game!"

The television flickered to life at a command from Raven, and the GameStation III booted up. Two controllers flew across the room and landed in the sorceress' lap. Beast Boy eyed her uncertainly before reaching for one. Raven had removed Beast Boy's gloves along with the rest of his clothes, and the changeling's claws scratched against Raven's inner thigh as he grasped the controller, sending a shiver through the demoness' body.

"You're basically amazing. You know that, right?" he said, pecking her on the nose and turning toward the game.

Both teens showed an incredible amount of self-discipline over the next several minutes as their arousal went through a series of peaks and troughs. They played video games and talked. They joked around, they came up with silly excuses to wrestle with or touch each other, even if only for a moment, and it became a battle of attrition, a contest to see which of them would give into their physical desires first. Raven's nipples were hard and jutting from her chest, her labial lips moist and hot with desire. As hard as it was for Raven, she liked to think it was harder for Beast Boy. The green boy's penis oscillated from half- to full-mast as they played. At its most rigid, the organ pulsed along with its owner's heartbeat. Raven couldn't stop herself from staring.

Beast Boy's penis was the only part of his body that wasn't covered in fur.

The empath threw her hands up after losing another bout of Super Monkey Ninjas IV: Search for the Cobra Chalice. The fighting game seemed pointless to her, had absolutely nothing to do with monkeys or ninjas, and she wasn't sure even Beast Boy knew the controls. It looked like the boy was simply mashing buttons and waiting to see what happened.

Beast Boy put down his controller and gently kissed Raven on the nose again. He moved from her nose to her forehead to her eyelids to her mouth. The changeling lightly ran his tongue along Raven's lips, seeking entry. The sorceress was all too eager to grant him access, especially because it meant she'd won the contest. The battle of attrition was the only game that actually mattered. Beast Boy kissed her deeply, pouring as much of himself into the kiss as he could. Raven felt overwhelmed by the emotions cascading from the boy.

They leaned back until Beast Boy's weight was pressing down on Raven. She moaned as his left hand moved to her breast and started to massage the flesh. Her moan of pleasure quickly turned to pain. Beast Boy picked up on the subtle change and removed his hand.

"Something wrong?"

"Too hard," Raven responded. "Be gentle. Don't stop." She moved Beast Boy's hand back to her breast to emphasize her point.

"Sorry. I was just trying to remember what you liked last time–" Raven cut him off with a hasty kiss.

"Talk less."

The empath snaked a hand between Beast Boy and herself when the changeling resumed his enterprise. The pale girl ran her fingers lightly along Beast Boy's length, awed by the firmness and heat of the alien organ. The changeling lowered his head to Raven's left breast and fastened his mouth onto her nipple. He lapped against the little nub before sucking it into his mouth for long, hard pulls.

"Ow!"

Beast Boy stopped instantly.

"Sorry, Rae. Maybe we should stop…"

"Don't you dare!" Raven squeezed firmly on Beast Boy's erection, and the elf vented a low moan. His entire body shuddered from the sensation. "We're not going to stop. This isn't going perfectly. It's awkward. That's life. We're both new at this and we'll learn with practice."

Beast Boy nodded hesitantly. Raven smiled up at him and glanced down at the erection in her hand. The organ was so hot, a rod of pulsing flesh that seemed to possess a mind and personality of its own. The empath flushed when she realized how little she knew about what she was supposed to do with it. Beast Boy's treatment of her body had been unpleasant or painful, but he'd responded to her firmness with nothing short of pure animal pleasure. Their bodies were so different. Slowly, Raven pumped her fist along the changeling's length, growing slightly more confident as pleasure seeped into his emotional aura.

"You're right. You're always right. I'm sorry. I just want to get this right. I want you, Rae. I need you."

The demoness was lost in the thrill of the moment. She wanted to keep going and teach Beast Boy the subtle ways to coax her body to climax, but a shred of thought managed to pierce the fog of emotion around her. Raven had an interesting idea. Black magic encased Beast Boy, and the changeling yelped from the frigid touch. Raven rolled on top of Beast Boy and stared down into his eyes.

"You can't have me." She watched the lust and hurt and confusion in the changeling's eyes with a smirk. "You're saving yourself, remember?" she cooed, delighting in the expressions that flitted across the changeling's face. His resolve on that point wasn't what it used to be. It was fun to tease him.

"The world's not ending anymore, so now there _is_ a point. And that leads me to an interesting question, BB…" Raven's eyes slid along Beast Boy's naked body, taking in the soft green fuzz that covered his skin, his lithe muscles, the firmness of his jaw, and came to rest on the magical organ between his legs. Despite how excited he'd been before her magic touched him, Beast Boy's scrotum had drawn toward his body for warmth, and his penis was already wilting like a sun-starved plant.

The sorceress concentrated, and Beast Boy's manhood was released from her magic, leaving the rest of the elf's body blanketed in the black aura. She began to run her fingertips teasingly over the elf's upper thighs and balls, cupping each testicle in turn and carefully examining its size and shape, feeling its heft. Once the changeling was semi-erect, Raven bent down and tentatively licked the head of his penis. She was rewarded when Beast Boy's entire body shuddered.

"What _really_ counts as sex?"

"Oh, man! I did not need to see that!"

Raven and Beast Boy started at the voice and looked around, barely believing their ears. Looking down on them from the main computer terminal of Titans' Tower in full blown color was Cyborg. The cybernetic teenager's face was contorted in disgust, and the disgust was broadcast larger than life across the monitor.

"Cyborg?" Beast Boy yelped, jumping up from the couch and racing toward the terminal. Raven thought about how it was possible for the digital Titan to see them; the eyes looking down at them weren't actual eyes, and then she realized that somehow Cyborg had become integrated with the tower. With a burst of mental energy, the empath picked up her clothes and threw them over the security cameras in the room, effectively blinding her voyeuristic friend.

"Thanks, Raven. I can't begin to say how much I appreciate that. Yuck! It's like watching a porno starring my best friend and my little sister. That was not how I wanted to wake up!"

"We were having a moment," Raven dead-panned. Cyborg couldn't see how red her cheeks were, but Beast Boy could. The changeling was just as embarrassed as Raven was.

"It isn't that I'm not glad to see you or anything, Cyborg, but aren't you supposed to be dead?" Beast Boy asked.

"I don't know what to tell you, man. The last thing I remember, Slade was slapping me around the city, tearing my main chassis apart, and screeching gibberish. Now I'm inside the tower."

Raven's blush still hadn't receded from her face. She opened a portal into her closet and grabbed her cloak, draping the heavy blue fabric around her shoulders and fastening it shut. She raised her hood for good measure. Even if Cyborg couldn't actually see them, it was awkward to look him in the eye. Without being told to, Raven retrieved Beast Boy's clothes and handed them to the changeling.

"How'd I get here? Where are the others? Where's Slade? What happened with Seth?"

Raven and Beast Boy traded glances. Their friend had missed a lot since his murder. They took a collective breathe and began to recount what had happened.

They told Cyborg how they'd found his remains while looking for Starfire.

The fight with Slade.

Slade's death.

The Mark of Chaos.

Starfire's recovery.

The fighting and mistaken identities in the Observation Room.

At one point, Raven gathered her clothes and let Cyborg see into the room again. While both Beast Boy and she were looking at the digital image on the monitor, Cyborg's eyes and ears were plugged into the wall, and the empath thought her friend would appreciate being able to see their faces as they talked.

"And that's basically everything," Beast Boy finished. "Seth's been defeated, Temple's a manipulative witch, the world's being held together with large guns and duct tape, Starfire and Robin are on Tamaran, and there are a whole bunch of cults that have started worshipping the Entities. Did I miss anything, Rae?"

"Here's one," Cyborg said. "When did you and Rae get so… physical?"

"The day Slade killed you," Raven intoned. "Now it's our turn to ask questions. How is this possible? How are we having this conversation?" Cyborg's image frowned in thought. The cybernetic teen licked his lips and opened his mouth, but no explanation was forthcoming.

"I don't know," he said. "My central processor has an automatic back-up feature to prevent memory loss or file decay. I remember everything that happened up until my power cell was drained. That's how I'm still here… but I don't know if my mind and soul made the transfer."

"I don't know how I'm in the tower's mainframe. I didn't set that up, but I've got access to everything. Communications. Security. Climate control. It's all become an extension of my programming."

"The tower's alive now?" Beast Boy asked.

"No. The tower's me now. I just don't know what I am anymore," Cyborg answered. "Rae, do you think you could run some diagnostics?" Raven nodded immediately. She didn't know how Cyborg got into the tower's computer system, but it would have been better for Cyborg if he'd stayed dead.

The newly digitized Titan had struggled to understand what he was ever since S.T.A.R. Labs replaced the majority of his body with machinery in an attempt to save his life. His brain had been scooped out and programmed onto tiny silicon chips, his heart, once organic, had been replaced by an independently regulated electronic pump. Not a man and not a machine, Cyborg had finally found peace about what he was by learning that his spirit – his soul – had somehow been preserved by the scientists who saved him. That was how he'd defeated Brother Blood. That was how he managed to sleep at night.

All that work had been undone. Raven knew why Cyborg wanted the diagnostics: her friend was afraid that he'd been turned completely into a machine. He didn't have a body anymore, just a central processor. He didn't have eyes, just a small array of video cameras. He didn't have a mouth or vocal chords, just a bunch of strategically placed speakers. And without a body, he didn't know where his soul was. Cyborg was afraid, and he didn't even have the luxury of knowing that what he felt was truly fear and not a pre-programmed response to some variables in a formula.

"Okay…" Beast Boy said, clapping his hands together. "Raven will get to work on the diagnostics, I'll call the others with the good news, and then I'm taking a shower."

"Not yet, Beast Boy," Raven ordered. Cyborg nodded his agreement. "We don't want to tell them Cyborg's back if it isn't true."

The changeling stood rooted to the spot, looking from Raven to Cyborg's giant face. The empath could sense the boy's confusion, and she was reluctant to fill in the gaps for him. She barely wanted to remember the conversation, let alone explain it.

ooooo

Cyborg had spent a few months leading Titans East in the fight against H.I.V.E. Academy and Brother Blood. His final confrontation with Brother Blood had shown him what his programming could do in the wrong hands. Raven and he had been working on the T-car, both their faces smeared with motor oil and Raven's hands beginning to ache from new calluses, when they had their watershed moment.

"Hand me that socket wrench, will you, Rae?" Cyborg asked, holding his hand out.

"Give me a second. I've almost got this," she answered, barely paying attention to her friend's request and wrestling with the engine. The sorceress was ashamed to admit it, but she just didn't have the arm strength for certain repair work. Sending a quick glance at Cyborg and determining that he wasn't watching her, Raven used her powers to finish the movement.

"Thanks," Cyborg said once the wrench was in his hand.

They continued to work in silence for many minutes in an intricate dance of hand and tool coordination.

"I want you to promise me something, Rae. If I ever get like that, if the machine ever takes over, I want you to pull the plug. I don't want to live if I'm not actually living. Life's got to be more than variables plugged into an equation and preordained responses to external stimuli."

Raven chuckled. "You're being a little melodramatic, Cyborg. There's no reason to believe that your programming will ever–"

"Promise me!" he interrupted. "You have to promise, Rae, no matter what. I don't know how S.T.A.R. Labs did it, but they preserved my soul. That's what makes me a man. If I lose that, you need to pull the plug."

The empath didn't answer for a while. She could feel Cyborg's fear and pain in the air, hovering around her head like a cloud of gnats. The feelings were just as unwelcome as if they truly had been insects.

"Raven, I can't trust anyone else with this. Please… promise me. If the machine takes over, pull the plug."

"I don't want to. I will. But I don't want to." Cyborg beamed down at the demoness and wrapped her in an embrace. She'd never felt more fundamentally unclean in her life. She sighed.

"Speaking of things we can't trust other people with, I wanted to talk about my birthday."

Cyborg snorted and shook his head. "Honestly, Rae? We just got through with Beast Boy's drawn out birthday preamble. I need a break from birthdays, and we've got months before yours."

"I know but–"

"Hold that thought. Whatever it is, hold onto it for a bit."

Raven opened her mouth and closed it again. There was no reason to worry Cyborg. She would never need to pull the plug on her friend. He wouldn't live long enough for it to be an issue: Trigon would be here in a few months. The demoness put down her tools and started out of the garage.

"You're right," Raven said. "In fact, forget I mentioned it. It's not important. I'll be meditating if you need me."

"Good night, Rae. And thanks."

ooooo

Beast Boy didn't say anything. The changeling was sitting at the dining table, his features carefully frozen in place in a mask he'd learned from Raven. The green boy couldn't hide his emotions from Raven; shock swirled around the changeling in giant eddies: the thought that Cyborg might not be back to stay cut the elf deeply. Losing his best friend once had been more than enough, and there was no Slade this time to help him vent. No way to take revenge. If Cyborg left again, it would leave a hole bigger than the first.

Raven didn't know what to say, so she remained silent, her nimble fingers flying across the keyboard as she performed one test after another. It was a pointless exercise. Cyborg's soul hadn't been reduced to one and zeroes by the scientists at S.T.A.R. Labs. It wasn't data that could be stored in a portable processor. Still, she trudged onward, checking the extent of Cyborg's integration and attempting to find a cluster of programs that might result in an artificial intelligence with Cyborg's distinct personality profile.

It was a job for which Raven was woefully under-qualified. She knew her way around a computer better than most people, but this was way out of her league.

"You can't just pull the plug on yourself, Cy. You're here. Obviously you are," Beast Boy muttered. The digital Titan didn't respond. "Cyborg!"

"Sorry, B," he stammered. "I got a little lost there. All this information… it's a little overwhelming. I'm talking to you right now, but I'm also looking through the external security cameras down where you and Terra used to skip rocks and I'm watching live news coverage."

"Anything good?" Raven asked dryly. She'd wondered how being a part of the tower would affect Cyborg. If nothing else, he was a perfect simulation of her friend – he had the same speech mannerisms, the same facial expressions, the same voice, the same baseline personality – but the digital Titan also had thousands of different files logged in his brain, high-speed Internet connection, and cable. Apparently, he had a hard time keeping track of it all. Maybe he'd get used to it, given time. Maybe not.

"A high-profile assassination in Luxembourg," the digital Titan replied. The television sprung to life behind Raven at a silent command from Cyborg.

"The victims, Eugene Krause and Kayode Dallas, were found brutally murdered in the home of Bryn Douglas, a personal friend of Krause's and a member of his growing cult, The Order of Seth. Ms. Douglas is currently undergoing surgery to repair a damaged carotid artery."

"The police have no suspects at this time, but it is speculated that the murders were motivated by Krause's vocal assertions in recent weeks that the god of Christian theology is dead or has abandoned humanity, whereas the Entities responsible for the recent destruction and renewal of our world have the power and interest to exert control over everyday life."

Raven vented a weary sigh before returning to her work.

* * *

**AN**: Like I said earlier, there is one more chapter coming, hopefully soon. Please tell me what you think!


	12. Chapter 12

Here's the final chapter of this lovely story of mine. Enjoy!

* * *

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we cannot foresee."

~Marian Wright Edelman (1939-TBA)

**Darkness Calls: Chapter 12**

Seth sat in the Observation Room, barely moving, his comatose form slumped against the pristine marble basin that distinguished the otherwise stark and unassuming emptiness around him. The man was haggard and drawn; dark circles radiated from under his eyes, and his body possessed the pinched look of someone who had lost weight quickly. Temple and Morana stood a few feet from the Entity of Chaos, and the beefy man glared at his counter as she flicked beads along the length of her abacus, the golden instrument glistening in the light that filled the sterile room.

Both of the women had hurt him more than he'd been hurt in centuries.

"You can't control him," Seth wheezed. His voice had deteriorated along with his body and his power.

"Slade?" Temple clarified, throwing her timeless enemy a dismissive glance. "Nobody can control Slade Wilson."

Morana scowled. The petite Asian was starting to resemble Seth – her skin was losing its healthy sheen. In order to strike back at Seth, in order to punish him for his deception and manipulation, Morana had handed a mortal her Mark.

The Mark of Death.

Each of the twelve Entities had the ability to create a Mark, an artifact of ancient and unimaginable power. The very essence of the Entities flowed through the talismans like blood. That was why mortals could use a Mark to hurt the Entity who created it; the Entity and the Mark were one. Slade had collected two of the ageless relics. The man's first acquisition had been the Mark of Death; the second, the Mark of Chaos.

"What does that mean for me?" Morana insisted, running her slim fingers through the brutally short hair atop her scalp. "He's been using the Mark, I can feel him draining the power from me."

Temple hummed thoughtfully, her quill between her teeth as she contemplated a line of particularly difficult math. The woman was thoroughly enjoying her position of power and Morana knew it.

"Temple, you need me! Death is part of the natural Order. Slade is using my Mark. If nobody can control him…"

"You have a parasite, Morana, nothing serious. Every time Slade taps into your power to activate your Mark, he drains his own energy. It costs him. You might feel a little dizzy, but Slade won't hurt you. Too much."

Seth laughed weakly. The man gestured at himself. He was slumped against the Basin, his clothes hanging loosely from his frame in homage to his jowls, which were doing the exact same thing from his face.

"Does this look like it doesn't hurt, Morana? You betrayed me, and now this is going to happen to you."

"I betrayed you?" Morana scoffed, her voice rising in indignation. "You lied to me! You cheated me!"

Seth opened his mouth, but Morana cut him off with a wave of her hand. Brilliant black light engulfed her fingers, simultaneously springing to life around Seth's jaw and forcing the offending maw to snap shut with a painful thump. The dull ring of bone crashing against bone echoed through the Observation Room as Seth's teeth collided.

"You took Robin from me! I've been after that wretched boy for years. And just when I had him in my grasp, when I could taste the final moments of his life and smell the perfume of his last breath, you had the demoness save him! You aren't honestly stupid enough to think I wouldn't be angry, are you?"

Temple chuckled. She'd been at war with Seth for millennia. The manic Entity had always been able to keep up with Temple's clever plans. He countered every one of her brilliant, thought out plans – contingencies in place for all eventualities – without seeming to try or care. What took Temple years to plan and decades, even centuries to implement, Seth responded to instantaneously, slipping through the tinniest of loopholes until all of Temple's work amounted to nothing.

Not this time.

Seth would regain his power in time; it was no more possible to kill an Entity than it was to change the fundamental and underlying laws of dimensional physics. As long as there was life, there would be Entities. But Seth was weak, and he'd stay that way for a long time.

"Slade will use your Mark, Morana. He'll use Seth's too. And knowing Slade, he's already got the gears in his head working on collecting even more of our Marks. But he won't hurt you. Death is a powerful force, more powerful than most, and it isn't possible for a mere mortal to fully command life and death without exhausting themselves. See for yourself."

Temple rubbed her hands together over the Basin, allowing the tan sand of her orderly influence to tumble down into the molten rainbow swirling within the marble. The image shifted and focused as soon as Temple's power contacted it. The planet Earth swam into focus, zooming in until the two women were looking down at the black and ebony mask of Slade Wilson.

Or as he had started calling himself since his recent "death," Deathstroke.

ooooo

Deathstroke pushed his way through the front doors of the morgue in the blinding light of midday. The sterile interior glistened in the sunlight; overstuffed chairs sat in the corner, apparently forgotten, flanked by large vases of dying sunflowers. The flowers knew the truth about this place: everything that entered was either dead or dying. Family and friends' final vestiges of hope shattered against the cold linoleum in the basement when they were forced to accept the inevitability of death.

The man at the receptionist's desk looked up when Deathstroke entered, but the man's eyes looked straight through him. The armored sociopath's body glowed with dark bronze light; Seth's influence over chaos proved itself more useful than Deathstroke could ever have imagined. He clutched the Mark of Chaos in his hand and smirked, walking into the stairwell while the receptionist returned to his paperback. The human sense of sight depended on all sorts of light refractions, filtering, and electronic impulses sent from the optic nerve up to the brain. It was a simple matter to scramble the process, creating the illusion of invisibility.

The crisp bite of refrigerated air infiltrated Deathstroke's lungs as he entered the morgue. There was an elderly woman hovering over the building's most recent acquisitions – Reverend Eugene Krause and his bodyguard, Kayode Dallas. The woman looked up, her bespectacled eyes blinking rapidly at the empty air. The hazel orbs were grossly magnified behind the thick box frames, giving her the appearance of a geriatric insect.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Deathstroke flicked his hand up at the woman, and the black aura of the Mark of Death mingled with the bronze sheen over his frame. The woman didn't react in the least, her eyes suddenly vacant. The doctor tumbled to the floor, her legs buckling slowly. Gravity toppled the woman, and she landed with a crash. The black light faded, and the assassin stumbled. The Mark of Death demanded more energy from him than the Mark of Chaos, and every additional use left the man feeling drained and nauseous. He moved forward weakly, his steel-toed boots crunching against the doctor's glasses.

Krause had seen better days. The small man's torso was riddled with bullet holes, and his face had been ritualistically slashed postmortem. The man's nose had been removed, one of his ears was missing, harvested for a trophy, and his eyes had been gouged out in homage of the great men of ancient myth. Krause began every one of his public speeches by welcoming his audience and congratulating their daring to see as he saw.

Somebody hadn't liked the view.

"Out, vile jelly," Deathstroke murmured. The armored villain carefully examined Kayode Dallas. The bodyguard's assassination had been brutal and quick, lacking in artistry but clearly the work of professionals. The large man had been Mozambiqued, his torso shot twice, rapidly, entry wounds above his lung and heart. A final bullet had punctured the African's head for good measure. The armored sociopath had already been to the hospital to visit Bryn Douglas. The news that night would announce that she'd suffered from a post-op aneurism that claimed her life.

Deathstroke closed his eyes and breathed deeply. The Mark of Death warmed in his pocket, and the assassin could smell the faint odor of burning fabric as the talisman tried to escape its confines. He didn't know if this would work. The man stretched out his hand and laid it on Krause's mutilated brow. The black magic consumed his frame, and the wounds covering Krause's body began to close and heal.

The distinctive Y-shaped incision of an autopsy closed up. Krause's nose poked into the air and elongated until there was no evidence it had been removed. Deathstroke erased all traces of the man's death except the missing ear. It would serve as a reminder for Krause and lend the tiny man credibility when he announced his miraculous rebirth. The villain felt his eyes growing heavy and stepped back, fighting the urge to be sick. He was unsuccessful, and Slade had to lift his mask from his face to avoid painting the inside of the barrier with the contents of his stomach.

Krause's eyes snapped open, and he sucked in a desperate breath. Almost immediately, he choked on the cold air as it surged into his unprotected windpipe. Deathstroke watched the man cough up the air, his eyes watering from the harsh chill. Once he'd regained his senses, Krause looked around him.

"Kayode, it's good to see you. I don't know what happened. The last thing I remember…" the small man tapered off. His savior was thankful for the break. Deathstroke's German was rusty, and he only had the ability to trick Krause's eyes into seeing and hearing his bodyguard before him. Looking like Kayode didn't give the assassin the dead man's language skills. "Oh, my! We were shot."

The Luxembourgian turned his attention back to the room he was in. He took in the refrigerated units built into the walls, the heady scent of antiseptics, the sterile environment. Finally his beady brown eyes passed over the doctor's corpse and the autopsied body of the real Kayode Dallas. The fear set in, and Deathstroke relished the expression as it invaded Krause's features.

"Who are you?"

"Who do you think I am?" he asked. "Your assassination was untimely. There's still a job for you to do, a message needs to be sent." Krause's hands were moving over his body, feeling for the bullet wounds he was positive should have been there.

"What message is that?"

"All the rules have changed. Those who insist on clinging to the old traditions will die with them."

The armored genius turned and strode out of the room. To Krause, it would seem like he evaporated into thin air. The sociopath grinned through the throbbing of his headache. He'd never dreamt of having this type of power. Even the abilities Trigon the Terrible had given him were nothing compared to the amazing things he could do now. There wasn't a single living creature that could stop him.

ooooo

Beast Boy awoke with a terrible crick in his neck. The changeling moaned and tried to straighten out and alleviate the pressure. The boy didn't get far, discovering after only a few centimeters that the body curled up next to his was restricting his movement. He looked down at Raven and debated what to do.

They'd stayed up for a while talking after Raven admitted she couldn't give Cyborg the definitive answers he wanted from her. The empath had done everything in her power, but there was nothing suggesting that Cyborg wasn't just a sophisticated simulation. Of course, there was nothing suggesting he didn't have a soul either. Just like before his death, the digital Titan was caught in limbo, unable to say who and what he was.

Raven and Beast Boy had talked, they'd kissed, they'd snuggled, and the demoness had a dark hickey on her shoulder blade, contrasting sharply with her skin. There was still a baggy T-shirt draped over the only security camera in the room, privacy from Cyborg's prying eyes.

Raven was curled up against Beast Boy, her head resting on his chest, her legs lost somewhere in the unoccupied half of the bed. Beast Boy envied the extra space and tried to move to the side, but it was impossible to get anywhere without waking Raven. The changeling frowned. This was completely unfair.

Without anything else to do, Beast Boy allowed his eyes to roam over Raven's room. The decor was dark, the curtains were drawn shut, and creepy little statuettes sat arrayed on top of the bedside table, the dresser, and the bookcases. An area that had long been off-limits to Beast Boy, the elf had never imagined there would be a time where he was welcome in the room.

The room still gave him the creeps.

There was a glass orb full of violet smoke sitting on a velvet cushion. The smoke swirled within its confinement violently one second, the next it rolled in gentle eddies. Beast Boy thought he saw something else in the orb, concealed by the colored smoke, but he was almost positive that his nerves were making him see things. There was no way there were eyes in that glass ball.

Beast Boy craned his neck, wincing as the stretch aggravated his sore muscles, and looked at the bedside table. There were two books sitting on the polished wood, both partially read and sporting black bookmarks. The first looked like a college theology textbook. The second looked like it was written over three thousand years ago. It definitely wasn't a language Beast Boy could understand.

Then his eyes landed on the mirror.

Raven's meditation mirror was resting within arm's reach. The sleek hand-mirror sported a circular frame, four curved horns, and large garnets at the top and bottom of the reflective glass. The gems glistened up at the changeling, inviting him to reach for the mystic object. The last time he'd seen the mirror had been over four years ago, a few months after the Teen Titans had established themselves in Jump City. The unassuming mirror was a direct portal into Raven's mind, a completely self-contained dimension where the demoness' emotions had free reign.

"Don't even think about it," Raven said sleepily. Beast Boy sputtered.

"I wasn't."

"Good. The last thing I want to do right now is deal with Happy. She's always been your number one fangirl. We just slept together, and I don't need the squealing."

Beast Boy chuckled. Happy was perhaps his favorite of Raven's embodied emotions. The pink-clad girl was the first person in his life to call him BB, and he'd instantly been smitten with the girl's childish laughter and infectious good mood. Nothing compared to the real Raven, with all her different facets intact, but Beast Boy liked Happy.

"She'd go crazy just because we slept in the same bed?"

"You have no idea," Raven groaned. The empath nestled into Beast Boy's chest, and he sighed. He really needed to adjust his position. Sensing his discomfort, Raven reluctantly pulled away.

"What are those about?" Beast Boy asked, jerking his thumb toward the books on the bedside table. The sorceress shook her head. The truth was that she needed answers. The Entities existence undermined so much of what Raven thought she knew about the world. That made her uncomfortable. She also wanted to be prepared for next time: no matter what Temple said, Raven wasn't convinced they'd seen the last of Seth.

"Research."

Beast Boy didn't press the issue, but the empath could see his lower canines pressing against his upper lip. He wasn't happy. He probably had the same reservations about trusting Temple that Raven had, but the boy didn't like confronting the possibility that Trigon and Seth were the beginning of a theme. He didn't want to think about another apocalyptic battle.

The tower's alarms started blaring. Raven and Beast Boy shot from bed out of instinct before remembering that the Teen Titans weren't receiving any emergency calls. The governor had been deadly serious about letting normal people deal with the majority of the reconstruction. The teens dressed and headed for the living room. When the door swung open, Cyborg gaped at Raven and Beast Boy exasperatedly.

"I called you guys four minutes ago!"

"Why?" Raven asked. "We were told to take some time off." Cyborg shook his head. His face was replaced by a news recording. Raven arched a brow at the scene. Beast Boy's surprise wasn't as controlled.

"What is it with all these dead people coming back to life?"

The screen showed Krause assembled before a large mass of his congregation. The man was missing an ear, but otherwise he appeared to be in perfect health. He was speaking from atop a stack of orange crates. However Krause had cheated death, he hadn't shared the secret with his bodyguard.

"Brother and sisters, I stand here before you the victim of a successful homicide, a cold-blooded murder meant to silence my message. But my message is truth, and the truth cannot so easily be silenced!" Raven found herself agreeing with Beast Boy. Krause's miraculous recovery was getting him international news coverage. The diminutive man spoke only German and a smattering of English, but every word was being translated and broadcast around the globe because of the circumstances surrounding his assassination and rebirth.

Krause was turning into a big threat faster than Raven thought possible. She had reread Slade's articles on the Entities, and the sorceress was positive this cult worship boosted their powers. If Seth or any of the other Entities were going to attack the dimension again, they'd rely on the cults for a power boost.

"God is dead. He is as dead as I was. But the Entities, the Entities are real. We have all suffered at the hands of what they can do, but I stand before you today because one of their number values the truth just as much as I do. I was brought back from the dead to share my message with you all." Raven growled low in her throat. Beast Boy shot her a questioning glance and she nodded.

"Temple."

"Why would Temple bring Krause back from the dead?" Cyborg asked. "Come to think of it, how would the Entity of Order bring someone to life?"

That made Raven stop. She had no idea how it was possible. It was obvious that Krause was alive. Maybe he hadn't really died. The empath sighed.

"I know you want me to look through your programming more, Cyborg, but I need to go to Luxembourg. This is too strange for us not to look into it. Beast Boy and I will head out there and see what we can find. Robin and Starfire will call in for updates, but I won't mention you. If that's what you want…"

"It is." The reply was steely and confident. Raven envied her friend. She wished any part of her life was clear-cut. Krause's assassination sent her mind reeling. He might have staged the murder in order to get the type of media attention he currently had access to. That was smart, but part of Raven didn't believe Krause had lied. And if Temple hadn't brought the man back to life, there was something else going on – something Raven didn't understand.

"You two head out. I'll get in touch through your communicators if I learn anything useful."

Raven nodded grimly and headed from the room. Beast Boy caught up with her and took her hand. The demoness glanced down at their fingers. At least things with Beast Boy were simpler. Their relationship didn't make sense in the strictest sense of the word, but Raven was beginning to care less and less about that. She needed Beast Boy and he needed her. That was a start.

ooooo

The Council of Lords was a formidable diplomatic force, and Robin was quickly losing patience with everyone sitting on the Council. The Boy Wonder was in a large audience chamber, listening to the various members of the Council debate the future of Tamaran. The planet's government had been thrown into chaos by the untimely death of the Grand Ruler, a large and magnanimous man by the name of Galfore. Without Galfore's wise counsel and iron resolve, some of the more ambitious members of the Tamaranian elite were making a bid for power.

Starfire banged her fist on the table, denting the immaculate metal and sending a jarring echo through the cavernous room. The Council's circular table was a highly polished beacon in the middle of a large auditorium. It was the X'hal-given right of every Tamaranian to attend the Council's meetings, but Robin was one of the few people peppering the uncomfortable stone bleachers.

"Enough, Idowu!" Starfire took a moment to compose herself and drew a deep breath through her nose. It was a calming exercise she learned from Raven. "Your concern is noted, Councilor, but this assembly has a great many items to attend to and this theory is pure insanity!"

Robin had been listening with half an ear for several hours now. Starfire was one of the few people on the Council who spoke in English, the others preferring to use their native Tamaranian, and it made paying attention to the proceedings difficult. It was a political slight against his presence: Tamaranians could learn languages instantaneously through lip contact with a native speaker, and while some subtleties like contractions and idioms did not transfer immediately, there was not a single member of the Council who didn't possess at least conversational English skills.

The message was simple: outsiders were not welcome.

The man Starfire interrupted opened his mouth to speak, but a sharp glance from the alien princess made him hesitate. A slim man with an almost elastic appearance, Idowu had untamed brown hair that he kept out of his face with what looked like a dried animal skin. His features were sharp and his nose had a slight hook to it that reminded Robin of an opossum. Once Idowu overcame his hesitation, hearty Tamaranian syllables poured from his lips.

"You will speak in English when speaking of matters that concern my friend and his home planet," Starfire seethed. Idowu cleared his throat, threw Robin a contemptuous glance, and started again.

"Princess, the origin of the dimensional anomaly cannot be overlooked. I understand that you stand torn between two worlds and have a great deal of affinity with Earth and its native inhabitants, but perhaps this clouds your objectivity. Can we so easily dismiss the possibility that Earth unleashed _D'oflax_ as a weapon against us?"

"Wait a minute!" Robin hollered, springing to his feet. Before the acrobat could say or do anything else, he was surrounded by guards, each carrying a vicious hybrid between a scythe and a pike. They leveled the deadly weapons at his torso as electricity began to crackle along the length of the metal.

"Robin, I have explained this to you. Only members of the Council may speak at these assemblies. As for your theory, Idowu, there are a number of things of which you should be made aware. There is no Earth government. The planet is divided into several different forms of leadership, some not even built with the same framework or values. The planet is at war with itself, and only a handful of people on Earth are aware of intelligent life on other planets, let alone Tamaran specifically." Idowu snorted, an inelegant sound of incredulity.

"My little brother speaks out of turn, highness."

"Babirye!" Idowu shouted.

"You would raise your voice to your sister?" Babirye hissed. Whereas her younger brother was full of rage and energy, the sculpted woman who now spoke carried herself with confidence and grace. She had the same dark brown hair as her brother; it hung in a curtain down her back and framed her face, drawing attention to the sharp contours of her golden physiognomy. Starfire removed her fist from the table. The metal made a small squealing sound as she pulled her hand free.

"It has been a long day," Starfire said at length. "We will adjourn for the evening. When we reconvene, I will hear no more about fighting a war against Earth. If it were not for the efforts of humans on that planet, _D'oflax _would still be free in our dimension. We do have security concerns, but our greatest external threat is not Earth. It is The Citadel. It is the Gordonians. It is Garland Prime. But most importantly it is my elder sister. If you wish to fight a war, Idowu, concern yourself with Blackfire."

"She wouldn't dare try anything now, highness," Babirye said. "It is only a matter of time before your own intelligence officers track her down and return her to prison."

"We can only hope, Councilor, but my sister is inconveniently resourceful."

Robin couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw Babirye smile. Starfire only nodded later that night when he told her. They were in Starfire's old room, the balcony doors thrown wide open in an attempt to tempt a breeze into the room. The sky was a deep violet, lit only by the stars and the orange moons circling the planet. Starfire had her shirt off, and Robin was in the middle of reapplying the alien girl's bandages. Her wounds had started to bleed again sometime during the day.

"Babirye and Idowu's family has always been influential on the Council. Galfore once told me he suspected they worked with Blackfire during her last takeover. Babirye had a twin sister, but she was killed during Seth's reign. Galfore always suspected her of being the brains behind their ambitions."

"And with her dead, maybe Babirye and Idowu won't be too much of a problem anymore." Starfire twisted to face Robin, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"That is a terribly offensive and callous thing to think, Robin. To say it is worse." The Boy Wonder nodded, reaching for the bandages hanging haphazardly from Starfire's chest. She jumped away from him, the gauze unraveling further until the bandages were shed to the floor. Robin had been dealing with Starfire's bandages for days and had seen her almost completely nude when Seth had control of her mind, but he averted his gaze out of instinct.

"I am serious, Robin! Look at me. Cyborg died during Seth's reign. Raven and Slade almost killed me. How would you feel if someone decided to treat those events as positive things – convenient for them?"

Robin cleared his throat and said nothing. There was nothing to say. Starfire knelt down and retrieved the gauze from the floor. Robin watched the Tamaranian princess gather up the medical supplies, his eyes sweeping over her bare torso without him being fully conscious of what he was doing.

Starfire was a beautiful girl. Her skin pigment gave her a rich golden tan regardless of the time of year, and the three scars did nothing to subtract from her beauty. She looked up and caught his eyes. Despite his mask, Robin blushed. Starfire tossed the gauze at him, and Robin caught them after a quick fumble.

"I want to thank you for assisting me with these bandages," Starfire said. "I know that my injuries and their locations make you uncomfortable. I just cannot afford to appear weak in front of a Tamaranian right now; otherwise I would ask someone else. I have no idea whom I can trust and knowing the extent of my injuries could make certain members of the Council difficult to deal with."

"I'm not uncomfortable," Robin insisted, swallowing hard to keep his throat from drying out. "I'm happy to help, Starfire. You know that."

"Only half of that is true," Starfire hummed. "You are my best friend, Robin, and I know you are happy to help me, but you are uncomfortable. We have known each other for over four years: I can tell when you are not comfortable."

Robin continued to wrap Starfire's injuries. If he covered them faster, maybe this conversation would end sooner. Starfire didn't press the issue, and Robin was thankful for that. Living and working so closely with Starfire for so many years had done nothing to assuage the chemistry he felt between himself and the Tamaranian beauty. In fact, time and proximity made it worse, and Robin didn't know how to balance his feelings with his duties as a Titan. The Boy Wonder made a mental note to ask Beast Boy how he navigated his feelings toward Raven. Both the changeling and the demoness seemed to have some chemistry, but nothing had ever happened between the two. They hadn't allowed their hormones to change their working relationship.

"Robin?" The sound of Starfire's voice pulled the young acrobat back to reality. "Do you not find me attractive?" He'd never blushed so much in his life. Robin sputtered for a moment, struggling for composure. It didn't help.

"No–"

"I understand."

"No! It isn't that. Star, it isn't that I find you unattractive. The reason dressing your wounds makes me uncomfortable is because I find you too attractive."

"I do not understand."

"Well… yeah."

"I was not aware there was such a thing as too attractive."

Robin sighed. He had no clue how to express what was in his head. He loved Starfire. He cared about her. But they were teammates. He shouldn't love her. He should be able to work with her and keep a clear and level head.

"I care too much about you," he finally blurted out. Starfire blinked. "It's hard for me to stay objective when it comes to you."

"None of us are objective about our friends," Starfire said. She spoke slowly, processing what Robin said and trying to determine what it meant. "All four of you trusted Slade to guide you to me during Seth's reign. That was not objective. Neither was it objective when you followed Slade into Hell in search of Raven. You should have let Raven and Slade kill me when I was attacking you, but instead you stopped them. That was not objective. We love each other, Robin. None of us is objective."

"But we should be," Robin muttered.

"Why is that?" Starfire snapped. "We should be objective because that is what Batman taught you? No emotions, just business? You left Batman, Robin. You rejected him in order to be someone else. Someone better."

"I know!" Robin exploded. "I know, it's just..."

"It is hard to let go of everything you've been taught," Starfire supplied gently. "I understand, Robin."

The Boy Wonder finished tending to Starfire's wounds and excused himself. He needed advice from the only guy he knew who was in a similar position. Flipping open his communicator, Robin called Beast Boy. The changeling would be able to give him some answers. Hearing the green boy talk about how he navigated his feelings for Raven would give Robin some clarity.

ooooo

Komand'r was out of breath. The exiled Tamaranian princess collapsed against a large boulder, her shoulders heaving and her heart pumping battery acid through her veins. She'd been running ever since her sister's intelligence officers had tracked her to the only habitable planet in the Omarri system.

The raven-haired woman rested against the rough green stone, glancing around the horizon for any hint that she was still being followed. When nothing caught her eyes, Blackfire stretched behind herself, groping desperately for the dart that had imbedded itself in her back. It was in the only spot she couldn't reach. The pain from the dart was nothing, but the compound it was pumping into her system interfered with the chemical balance in her brain, blocking her ability to fly or shoot her starbolts.

Growling low in her throat, Blackfire began to move again, keeping low to the ground and using the plentiful blue vegetation on the planet for cover. The planet was incredibly alien, even to Blackfire who made it a point to be well-traveled. Green rocks, blue plants, and a churning crimson sky that reminded the Tamaranian far too much of the madness that had swirled above her when _D'oflax _had been in control of the dimension. It had been a painful and demeaning experience to lose her mind, but Blackfire did owe _D'oflax _some thanks: without the flood of chaos that engulfed everyone, she would never have gotten out of prison.

A twig snapped behind her, and Blackfire wheeled around, her amethyst eyes wide with pure animal terror. She didn't see anything and began to hyperventilate, backing up slowly. The dart in her back was removed with a sudden tug, and the Tamaranian yelped as the barbs yanked out chunks of her flesh. A gloved hand reached out and covered her mouth, muting the sound.

Blackfire's mind was churning rapidly, looking around for something to use as a weapon. At the same time, the exiled princess knew that she was not being held by one of Starfire's intelligence officers: she wasn't unconscious or dead yet.

"I'm going to let you go, Komand'r. Please keep in mind that running is not in your best interest." The voice was deep and masculine, speaking with accented English. It sounded like an Earth based variety. The man removed his hand, and Blackfire turned, slowly, to face him.

She was greeted by a man in a full-body suit of battle armor. Steel-toed boots covered his feet, dark metal plating covered his torso, arms, and legs, and his face was concealed by a mask of bronze and ebony, neatly dividing his features. He only had one eye, and the cold gray thing seemed to see through her clothes, past her skin, and into the very fabric of her soul and psyche.

"Koriand'r send you?"

"Starfire did not send me," he answered, referring to the Grand Ruler of Tamaran by her adopted Earth name. "Your baby sister would be very unhappy if she knew we were talking."

"Who are you then? If you're not with Intelligence, what's your game?" Blackfire smelled a trap. There was something off about this man. She'd bartered with a group of pirates only a few days ago to use their long-range scanners, and there hadn't been any power signatures around the planet. She hadn't noticed any flaming reentry paths cutting through the sky, so it shouldn't have been possible for him to be talking to her at all. Yet here he was. It didn't make sense.

"My name is Deathstroke. I'm a friend."

"With a name like Deathstroke, you can understand my skepticism," Blackfire snorted.

"I can," Deathstroke replied, never missing a beat. "You haven't gotten as far as you have in life by being easily duped. Of course, your plans recently have ended poorly. Were you thinking you could run from Starfire's intelligence officers forever?"

Blackfire scowled. She didn't have a better plan – survival was the only thing she had time to think about right now – but Deathstroke's condescension was really bothering her. She'd killed people for less than what he was currently doing.

"And you're going to help me come up with something better?"

"Not too long ago, back on Earth, I was in the exact same situation you are in right now. I had nothing, I was surrounded by people who wanted to see me dead, and I had to crawl on my knees, begging them for help. Survival was the immediate goal, but I was already working on a plan. As you can see, it worked out fairly well for me."

Blackfire cocked her head, feigning interest. She flexed her fingers and concentrated, trying to work up enough fury to ignite a starbolt. The radiation flickered along her fingers, but she was still too drugged to tap into her emotions successfully. Deathstroke looked over his shoulder, hearing something in the distance.

"Listen to me carefully," he demanded, suddenly talking faster, his voice dropping to a whisper. "In four days, a ship will land in the southern pole and harvest some of the larger trees to break down into bio-fuel. They will do this because their captain went insane yesterday and vented the majority of their fuel into space. His crew killed him, but the damage was already done."

Blackfire blinked, trying to keep up with this information. She didn't understand how Deathstroke could possibly know what he claimed, but the man spoke with such certainty that she didn't dare question him.

"The second-in-command is a large creature named Kamacht. He is stupid and demands no loyalty or respect from the crew. Get down to the pole, meet up with the pirates, win over the crew, and seize the ship. Move only under cover of darkness."

Blackfire bristled at being given orders. She was the eldest princess of Tamaran and the rightful Grand Ruler of a proud warrior race. Nobody gave her orders. Deathstroke chuckled, as if reading her mind, and that only infuriated Blackfire further. Her hands began to glow purple with the radiation of her starbolts.

"Why should I trust anything you say? Besides, even if you're right, I can't wait until dark: my sister's officers are right behind me."

"You should trust what I have to say because I need you. We can help each other. You want revenge on your sister; I want you to assume your role as Grand Ruler of Tamaran. Listen to what I'm saying. Win over the pirates, build an army, and take what's rightfully yours. There are three intelligence officers within a click of our position. I'll take care of them. You hide until dark."

Before Blackfire could ask more of Deathstroke, the man vanished into thin air. She blinked at the empty space, too shocked to process what she'd seen. After a moment, Blackfire headed deeper into the vegetation, looking for a place to lie low until the sun set. The exiled Tamaranian knew there was more going on here than she'd been told. Nobody ever helped anybody without a reason, and Deathstroke's motivation was a complete mystery. That made him difficult to predict, work with, or control.

Despite her reservations, Blackfire didn't doubt that Deathstroke had a vested interest in this pirate army. She smiled as her own plan began to crystallize. She'd run across multiple pirate vessels from all over the galaxy as she ran from Tamaranian Intelligence. Many had lost valued crewmembers and focus because of _D'oflax_'s influence. They were looking for a leader to give them purpose.

"Get ready, baby sister," she cooed, nestling into a large cerulean shrub that soaked her up like a sponge. "I'm coming for you."

* * *

I want to thank all my readers so, so much for sticking with me during this story! It has been a pleasure to share this tale with you. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. Good luck and happy writing!

~Balkoth


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